Stephan Katte, Sebastian Fischer, L’arpa festante, directed by Rien Voskuilen
69:24
cpo 555 667-2
This is an excellent compendium of mostly double horn works, not all of which can be defined as concerti, with technically four sinfonias, including Bach’s recycling of the third Brandenburg as the introduction to BWV174. The Hoffmann work has just one horn set against oboes, strings and continuo. The two Fasch concertos (FWV LD:16 and LD:18) top and tail the whole recording, musical bookends if you will. This CD would make for a super concert programme, especially the admirable Fasch works exuding that kind of flair found in those Vivaldian pieces con molti stromenti, undoubtedly their models, with that impetus and style found in other works aimed for Dresden’s well-honed orchestra under Pisendel. The hornists here impress with both their clear articulation and fine delivery. They are technically outstanding, too, especially in the Heinichen (Seibel 209) played without stopped notes! Of course, this piece and many others by this composer were first brought wider notice by Reinhard Goebel & Co. in the 1990s in his seminal series for Archiv. One of the movements (“La Chasse”) here was appropriated by G. P. Telemann for the final Abzug-Satz from his famous “Alster-echo” Suite (TWV55:F11) of around 1725.It is a slight shame they didn’t tackle a Telemann piece say, TWV 52:Es1 or one of the F-major double horn concertos. That said, the Hoffmann, Graupner, Stoelzel and Fasch make for a most entertaining listen, with each composer bringing their individual style and skills in writing for this instrumentation. There are definite hunting themes along with the ducal links; if I am brutally honest, the Bach is perhaps a touch over-familiar, yet very well played. The ensemble hold their own with some lovely jaunty episodes and during the slower movements achieve that lovely Baroque introspective wistfulness.
The two horn players often sail above this keenly responsive ensemble with an unforced panache and “réjouissance” to paraphrase the Heinchen. The recorded sound is well-balanced and never offensively plush, the great cpo quality is always maintained and delivers an enjoyably euphonic exposition of this repertoire; some familiar, some new, all engaging! Warmly recommended.
David Bellinger