Spohr, Onslow: Nonets

Chronique

Early Romantic contemporaries Louis Spohr and George Onslow each composed a nonet, calling for identical forces -- flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, and double-bass -- and they infused their music with a similar kind of virtuosity that has made these sparkling chamber pieces endure with musicians. To put together this unusual ensemble and to give it the tang of authentic early 19th century sonorities, the period wind quintet Osmosis augmented its numbers with freelance string players who play vintage instruments and made this album a fascinating exploration of the composers' inventiveness in orchestration and the unexpected combinations original winds and strings make possible. Spohr's Nonet in F major is decidedly the best known of the two works, and most recorded performances of it have featured modern instruments, while Onslow's Nonet in A minor has been seriously under-represented in the catalog. Both works have been given an exceptional presentation here, in terms of the faithfulness to historical practices and the zestful playing that shows how fun this colorful music was meant to be. One wonders why these pieces haven't been paired more frequently, for the obvious reasons that their styles are complementary and that they would make programming and contracting musicians a simple matter. If Osmosis wins over other ensembles to try it, then this may become the ideal match-up for future recordings.

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