Search - Anton Reicha, Peter Gulke, Symphony Orchestra Wuppertal :: Reicha: Sinfonia concertante for Flute $ Violin; Symphony in Eb; Overture in D

Czech composer Reicha's modern fame rests almost solely on his being the creator of the wind quintet, of which he composed more than 20. But he was a keenly imaginative, even experimental composer and theoretician whose omnivorous curiosity encompassed a vivid sense of humor. Like most Czech musicians, he had a special skill in writing for wind instruments, but he was also interested in such "modern" effects as quarter-tones, bi-tonality, and complex rhythms. The Overture in D, for example, is composed entirely in 5/8 time, and its lopsided rhythm really sounds like Mozart with a limp. All of the music on this delightful disc will thrill fans of the classical period--there really was more to it than Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. --David Hurwitz