These are recordings of great charm and interest, featuring
musicians who seem
to be fully enjoying themselves.
Tomaso Albinoni is another of those underrated and neglected composers of the
Italian Baroque. A slightly older contemporary of Vivaldi, and also a native
Venetian, Albinoni seems to have existed at the margins of the city’s music-making
establishments. Unlike the Red Priest, he never held posts at any of Venice’s
churches or ospedali. Instead, he appears to have lived off his father’s
paper business and been content to remain a freelance composer. His output was
divided into operas and instrumental music. Virtually all of his operatic works
have been lost or destroyed, leaving us with around 170 sonatas, sinfonias and
concertos.
The oboe concertos on this two-disc set come from the 1715 Op. 7 set of concertos
for violin, solo oboe and two oboes, and his subsequent Op. 9 collection for
the same combination, published in 1722.
The first disc covers the Op. 9 works. These are more sophisticated than the
Op. 7 set, and were dedicated to the Elector of Bavaria. Although influenced
by Vivaldi, Albinoni continues to plough his own musical furrow. Instead of frequent
ritornello passages and technical feats, we are treated to ‘straighter’ writing,
and simpler, lyrical, themes for the soloist(s). At less than 11 minutes in length,
the concertos are brief enough to entice repeated listening, and each one has
its own engaging quality. The measured elegance of No. 2 in D minor (tracks 1-3)
is immediately attractive, with its graceful adagio. No. 3 in F for two oboes
(tracks 4-6) provides a template for Albinoni’s concerto-writing in general,
while No. 12 in D (tracks 22-24) is given extra depth and colouring through prominent
bassoon parts.
The concertos from Op. 7 are inevitably simpler and leaner. They are shorter,
too, lasting little more than seven minutes at most. But they are no less attractive.
Their lighter construction has the added advantage of laying bare Albinoni’s
compositional technique. The concerto No. 3 in B flat major (tracks 4-6) is particularly
charming.
The oboe playing by Thomas Indermühle and Jacques Tys is first class - skilful,
yet relaxed. Support from I Solisti di Perugia under Paolo Franceschini is equally
warm and well-paced. Their enthusiasm and affection for Albinoni’s music
is clearly apparent. The sound quality too is first rate, with the harpsichord
and occasional organ continuo delightfully audible, yet never distracting from
the beguiling oboe lines.
John-Pierre Joyce
Details
Concerto in D minor for oboe solo and strings, Op. 9, No. 2
[10:51]
Concerto in F major for two oboes, strings and continuo, Op. 9, No. 3 [10:16]
Concerto in C major for oboe solo, strings and continuo, Op. 9, No. 5 [8:29]
Concerto in G major for two oboes, strings and continuo, Op. 9, No. 6 [7:02]
Concerto in G minor for oboe solo, strings and continuo, Op. 9, No. 8 [9:56]
Concerto in C major for two oboes, strings and continuo, Op. 9, No. 9 [9:56]
Concerto in B flat major for oboe solo, strings and continuo, Op. 9, No. 11 [10:12]
Concerto in D major for two oboes, strings and continuo, Op. 9, No. 12 [6:29]
Concerto in C major for two oboes and strings, Op. 7, No. 2 [5:07]
Concerto in B flat major for oboe solo and strings, Op. 7, No. 3 [7:12]
Concerto in C major for two oboes and strings, Op. 7, No. 5 [4:23]
Concerto in D major for oboe solo and strings, Op. 7, No. 6 [7:02]
Concerto in F major for oboe solo and strings, Op. 7, No. 9 [6:09]
Concerto in C major for two oboes and strings, Op. 7, No. 11 [6:10]
Concerto in C major for oboe solo and strings, Op. 7, No. 12 [7:10]
Thomas Indermühle (oboe);
Jacques Tys (oboe) 
