On this enterprising
release of rare German chamber repertoire
Centaur Records have programmed three
late-Romantic scores for wind ensemble.
Centaur Records, based
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was founded
in 1976 and is one of the oldest and
largest independent classical labels
in the USA. Not knowing too much about
the label a quick check on the Centaur
website revealed just how adventurous
and varied their extensive catalogue
is. In addition to this release of German
Romantic Wind Music their listing
of recent classical releases demonstrates
Centaur’s diverse and adventurous programming:
Henri Lazarof: String Concertos
Logan Skelton: Song Cycle on E.E. Cummings:
‘An American Circus’
Chopin: Waltzes for piano
Matthew Greenbaum: Psalter and Other
Works
Clarinet Brilliante II: Works for clarinet
and piano
Andrea Caporale: Complete Sonatas for
violoncello and basso continuo
Romantic Violin Concertos: by Röntgen;
Chausson and Hubay.
For this release Centaur
have chosen the Renaissance City Winds,
a professional chamber music group based
in Pittsburgh. Renaissance City is Pittsburgh’s
nickname. This ensemble is dedicated
to performing and recording the finest
music for wind instruments. Since their
founding in 1975 they have become one
of Pennsylvania's foremost chamber ensembles.
Originally a woodwind quintet, they
expanded in 1988 to produce wider programmes.
While they perform music from the sixteenth
century to the present day, the ensemble
has received special recognition for
its devotion to American music. It has
commissioned numerous works from contemporary
composers and performed many forgotten
scores, researched from the Library
of Congress, the Harmonists of Old Economy
Village in Ambridge, PA, and the Moravian
collection in Bethlehem, PA.
The first of the three
composers represented on this release
is Bavarian born Heinrich Kaspar Schmid,
who was a pupil of Ludwig Thuille, at
the Munich Academy of Music. Schmid’s
career was divided between his composing
and teaching at Music Conservatories
in Athens and Munich, Karlsruhe and
Augsberg. The composer’s work tended
toward smaller forms in the Romantic
style, straightforward and influenced
by Bavarian folk music. In later life
Schmid became blind.
Schmid composed his
three movement Wind Quintet in
1919. The Renaissance City Winds take
the opening movement allegro in
a buoyant and carefree manner, with
the bassoon of R. James Whipple steadily
maintaining a mantra-like motif. They
create an atmosphere of general tension
in short second movement relieved by
small glimpses of relative calm. In
the closing section note Schmid’s use
of cuckoo calls provided by clarinettist
Janice Coppola. Played sensitively,
the concluding movement is the most
lyrical of the three. The flute, oboe
and clarinet tend to dominate with the
horn and bassoon consigned to supporting
roles. In the lively allegro giusto
section the Pittsburgh wind players
accelerate impressively in a scampering
race to the finishing line.
Karl Eduard Goepfart
studied with his father Christian Heinrich
Goepfart and occasionally with Franz
Liszt. Goepfart toured as a theatre
conductor in the USA and returned to
Germany to compose, conduct and tour
as a pianist.
Cast in three movements
this Woodwind Quartet was composed
by Goepfart in 1907. In the extended
opening allegro risoluto the
exuberant playing suggests Mendelssohnian
nature calls. Goepfart’s inventive music
is packed with contrasts and radiant
lyricism. In this movement Goepfart
is unable to maintain his level of resourcefulness,
rather losing his way in the final third
or so. With the scherzo a carefree
and brisk approach is adopted. Of note
is the Mozartian main theme beautifully
played on clarinet by Janice Coppola.
I was impressed by the final movement,
a fugue composed with admirable
craftsmanship and performed with considerable
intensity.
The final composer
to be represented on this release is
August Reuss who began work, not as
a composer, but in the construction
business with his father. Reuss was
self-taught as a composer until in 1899
when he went to Munich to study with
the renowned teacher Ludwig Thuille.
He became a composition teacher at Trapp
Conservatory and the Akademie der Tonkunst.
Reuss’s music is tonal and lyrical of
the Straussian school.
August Reuss wrote
his substantial Wind Octet in
1918. It is a work cast in four movements.
In the opening movement the Renaissance
City Winds provide a reading that is
both sombre and restless in this dense
and generally disquieting music. There
is little respite found in the langsam
movement that continues in virtually
the same agitated vein as the opening
movement. The orchestral quality of
the music seems more pronounced. The
Pittsburgh Winds convey the brusque
and forceful character of Reuss’s energetic
scherzo movement. I admire the
way they communicate the pastoral quality
of the impressive closing movement,
with virile and lyrical playing signalling
that the dark clouds have parted. Satisfying
playing brings the Wind Octet to
a peaceful conclusion.
I thoroughly enjoyed
these performances from players who
display a fine security of ensemble
with the additional benefit of an appealing
timbre. The sound is bright, impressively
detailed and well balanced. The annotation
is very basic and I would have appreciated
some information on each of the three
scores.
These are all well
performed and recorded scores that will
appeal to those willing to be adventurous.
Michael Cookson
for
details
Renaissance City Winds 
