Search - Antonio Rosetti, Nicolas Pasquet, New Brandenburg Philharmonic :: Rosetti: Bassoon Concertos

Just a notch below Mozart

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 05/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Antonio Rosetti (born Anton Rösler c. 1750 - died 1792) was a German musician, initially a liveried double-bass player in a noble's establishment, who became a popular composer in his time. He is all but forgotten now, but it was his Requiem Mass that was played in tribute to Mozart a week after the latter's death. And for a long time he was known for his 'Harmoniemusik,' a form of wind band music popular in German-speaking countries well into the 19th century. He is also given credit for inventing the wind quintet, a form that certainly has took on a life of its own to the present day. Finally, he is remembered for having written numerous horn concerti that are occasionally revived. The concerti on this disc are for bassoon and small orchestra. The booklet notes indicate that three of them are probably world première recordings. The are notable for their tunefulness, particularly in their lovely slow movements, and for the craft of the composition. They sound, in places at least, as if they could have been written by Mozart himself - no small compliment! - but occasionally they lapse into a kind of formulaic writing that Mozart would never have allowed. Still, they are immediately attractive. The bassoonist, Albrecht Holder, is skilful, with a light, adroit tone. In the slow movements where there are often long-held notes (while all kinds of interesting harmonic changes are going on underneath) he has an attractive vibrato which he varies to fit the underlying texture - quite a nice touch. The New Brandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra is a small orchestra that is crisply and musically led by conductor Nicolás Pasquet. The performances are caught in clear, life-like sound. Scott Morrison"