Album

Aside from skill, soul, and wonderful melodies, the wind chamber music of Carl Reinecke has nothing to offer the listener. And as this splendid 1992 recording re-released by Naxos in 2008 shows, that is more than enough. Performed by members of the Boston Symphony, Reinecke's Wind Octet, Op. 216, and Wind Sextet, Op. 271, are light and airy works with bouncy rhythms, buoyant tempos, warm harmonies, memorable tunes, and an enviable grasp of form and proportion. Used to playing under a conductor, the Boston Symphony musicians' poised and attentive performances prove they are entirely capable of producing balanced interpretations on their own. The central work here, an eight-movement arrangement by Ernesto Köhler for flute and piano of Reinecke's piano cycle Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe, traces a musical biography in vignettes like "Birthday March" and "Bridal Procession." Reinecke's Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe won't challenge Liszt's tone poem of the same name for musical and emotional profundity, but it is far more charming and tuneful, and for some listeners, that may be just the ticket.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1
Carl Reinecke Composer Octet for flute, oboe, 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons, Op.216 Work 22:55 Keisuke Wakao Oboe, Jonathan Menkis Horn, Fenwick Smith Flute, Roland Small Bassoon, Daniel Katzen Horn, Craig Nordstrom Clarinet, Thomas Martin Clarinet, Richard Ranti Bassoon
1	1.Allegro moderato	8:43			$1.49
2	2.Scherzo: Vivace	3:04			$0.99
3	3.Adagio ma non troppo	5:53			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Allegro molto e grazioso	5:15			$0.99
Carl Reinecke Composer Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe (From Cradle to Grave), suite for flute and piano, Op.202 (arr. by Kohler) Work 24:30 Hugh Hinton Piano, Fenwick Smith Flute
5	1.Spiel und Tanz (Play and Dance): Vivace	2:32			$0.99
6	2.Rüstiges Schaffen (Vigorous Work): Allegro	2:35			$0.99
7	3.O schöne Maiennacht (O Beautiful May Night): Andante con grazia	3:49			$0.99
8	4.Hochzeitszug (Bridal Procession): Moderato	3:19			$0.99
9	5.Trost (Consolation): Con moto	1:40			$0.99
10	6.Gebürtstagsmarsch (Birthday March): Vivace	3:15			$0.99
11	7.Im Silberkranze (Silver-crowned): Andante sostenuto	3:42			$0.99
12	8.Abendsonne (Sunset): Andante	3:38			$0.99
Carl Reinecke Composer Sextet for flute, oboe, clarinet, 2 horns and bassoon, Op.271 Work 20:25 Keisuke Wakao Oboe, Jonathan Menkis Horn, Fenwick Smith Flute, Thomas Martin Clarinet, Richard Ranti Bassoon
13	1.Allegro moderato	8:07			$1.49
14	2.Adagio molto	6:42			$0.99
15	3.Finale: Allegro moderato, ma con spirito	5:36			$0.99