Concerti de Dresde et Darmstadt

Album review

Johann Friedrich Fasch might, on the surface, seem like the very model of a minor Baroque composer. Settling in a post in the remote Saxon town of Zerbst in 1722, Fasch labored there for 36 years, producing over 100 orchestral suites and at least 63 concertos in addition to other kinds of works. The only prominent exposure Fasch has enjoyed in modern times is through a couple of concertos included on the famous "purple Pachelbel" recording circulated by RCA Victor and featuring Jean-François Paillard and his orchestra. These were so-so concertos, and their inclusion didn't necessarily help the reputation of the composer. Il Gardellino's Johann Friedrich Fasch: Concerti, a hybrid Super Audio CD on the Accent label, reinvestigate Fasch with a splendid result, as the selection of six concerti therein are far more interesting works than those exhumed by Paillard in the 1960s. The most obvious of these are two lovely concerti for the grosso combination of two flutes, two oboes, and two bassoons; Fasch clearly appreciates the creamy sonorities resulting from this combination of winds, though the Concerto in G minor for solo oboe is handled with the same care and attention to color and variety. While Fasch's music is tuneful and agreeable, it is not necessarily predictable and is characterized by the occasional odd harmonic turn; the disc grows more appealing with repeated listens and the tunes become more familiar, with Fasch's subtle sense of undercutting the musical status quo revealing itself more. Il Gardellino is a very disciplined and accomplished band; the oboe players in particular are very good, getting a lot of warmth of tone from the period oboes, which do not have the flexibility of a modern instrument. For one interested in exploring the byways of Baroque music, a side trip to Zerbst and to the exquisite music of Fasch would be in order, and the Super Audio CD format lends a very present and well-balanced quality to the recording.
© TiVo

Details of original recording : 61:50 - DDD - Enregistré en juin 2007 en Augustinuskerk à Anvers (Belgique) - Notes en français, anglais et allemand