An appealing vehicle for Brazilian oboist
Alex Klein, this double-disc affords him a generous amount of time to display his virtuosic abilities to the fullest extent possible. Oboe teachers and students will find this album most valuable, and others may appreciate the exciting program
Klein has chosen, even if the works are not yet famous or acknowledged as twentieth century classics.
Bohuslav Martinu's tuneful Concerto for oboe and small orchestra (1955) is the most openly tonal and charming work, and boasts an energetic piano part that almost rivals the oboe, performed with vitality by Daniela Kosinova. Pawel Sydor's turbulent Virtuti Militari (1992) features tricky multiphonics in the oboe part and a robust orchestral accompaniment, dominated by explosive percussion. Despite this work's overall tendency toward atonality and aggression, it is coherently structured, sometimes lyrical, brilliantly orchestrated, and dynamically charged, and no doubt works as a riveting show stopper in concert. Marco Aurélio Yano's highly dramatic Concerto for oboe and orchestra takes up the second disc, and is perhaps the most challenging and astonishing work for its orchestral complexity and difficult solo lines;
Klein is pushed to the absolute extremes of oboe technique and expression. The
Czech National Symphony Orchestra, directed by
Paul Freeman, provides superb backing, and Cedille's sound quality is clear and vibrant.