Search - Robert Baksa, Michael Fardink :: Robert Baksa: Quintet for Oboe and Strings; 12 Bagatelles for Piano; Overture for Clarinet

Delightful!

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 11/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Robert Baksa is a wonderfully lyrical composer - a modernist who stays within traditional forms. The oboe quintet is classical in the Mozartian sense yet infused with modern touches. It's richly lyrical in all three movements; the third offers an attention-grabbing descending note theme with numerous variations to follow; the whole piece is delightful from beginning to end. The bagatelles, 12 in all, are varied in tempo and feeling; some of the faster ones are quite humorous. Pianist Michael Fardink plays simply (never simplistically) and does not over-reach. Many of these bagatelles are a lot of fun to listen to. The clarinet overture, though still within traditional boundaries, is the most modern of the pieces ( except for the final minute or so); it's an ambitious composition, a virtuoso piece for the clarinetist. Baksa is a composer of great charm, and I enjoyed this CD immensely."