Sinfonia in G Major (Altner G4) (by 1763) [9:54]
Sinfonia in B-flat Major (Altner Bb2) [10:53]
Sinfonia in A Major (Altner A3) [11:16]
Sinfonia in B-flat Major (Altner Bb3) [21:11]
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra/Aapo Häkkinen
rec. Sello Concert Hall, Espoo, Finland, 1-3 October 2010. DDD
NAXOS 8.572683 [53:53]
Franz Xaver Dussek was a prominent Bohemian composer, his name more correctly
written in its native form as František Xaver Dušek. He is apparently
unrelated to the better-known Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760-1812) and his composer
family, which included father Jan (1738-1818), brother František/Franz
(1766-1816), sister Katerina (1769-1833) and daughter Olivia (?1798 - after
1841).
As if to underscore the scope for confusion, a reviewer of this very CD,
writing for a leading journal that likes to blow its own trumpet, refers
to the composer as "a home wrecker, serial womanizer, shameless lecher,
and the first to turn his piano sideways on the stage "so that the ladies
could admire his handsome profile. … How fitting was Dussek’s
karmic end: he grew morbidly obese, ugly, and depressed, drank to excess,
and was barely able to leave his bed." Poor Franz Xaver - the disparaging
reviewer has confused him with Jan Ladislav!
Franz Xaver is known to have written in the order of forty symphonies, pace
that review a healthy contribution to the 18th century literature. The four
heard here, thought to be fairly early works, are not quite indispensable
masterpieces, yet nor are they negligible or in any regard forgettable.
In fact, they exhibit considerable craft, and within the well-defined stylistic
boundaries of Galant, are as fresh and vivid as they are elegantly Viennese.
Thus, if this turns out to be the first volume of several from Naxos, so
much the better, especially if performed by the talented, always enthusiastic
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra under their artistic director, the young Finnish
harpsichordist/conductor Aapo Häkkinen. An unusual but nice touch of
his is the decision to direct from the vicinity of a fortepiano, used sparingly
in the absence of a harpsichord continuo.
Sound quality is very good, with just the odd hint of distortion in the
very loudest passages. Allan Badley's notes are as always appreciative,
well written and informative. A running time of 53 minutes is nothing to
get excited about, but Dussek's music and the HBO's musicianship are.
Byzantion
Collected reviews and contact at artmusicreviews.co.uk
These symphonies are as fresh and vivid as they are elegantly Viennese.
see also reviews by David McConnell and John Whitmore
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