REVIEWS:
International Record Review (4/00, pp.33-34) - "...For this fascinating recce into the no man's land between Baroque and Classical, Gaigg ably marshals her forces: formations are precise, spit and polish gleam, and in the close-range recording you can see the excitement in the whites of their eyes..."

Holzbauer Flute Concertos: in D; in e; in A; in D • Karl Kaiser (fl); dir; La Stagione Frankfurt (period instruments) • cpo 777 358 (61:45)


I have reviewed CDs by Karl Kaiser in the past, a recording of trios by Matiegka (if I remember well, on that occasion I called Kaiser a master of his instrument, and I stand by my opinion), and a fabulous disc of Telemann wind concertos, featuring the same La Stagione Frankfurt. I have also had the pleasure of listening to some of his many excellent recordings. In all of them he displays the qualities that are amply evident here: beautiful warm tone, impeccable tuning, flexible inflections, inspired phrasing, and great digital dexterity. Any flutist would be happy to cling to these gifts and tread the worn paths, recording more of the usual repertoire; another fine recording of Bach or Mozart would certainly find a ready public.


What sets Kaiser apart, besides being the stunning interpreter that he is, is exactly the fact that he is not afraid to dig where no man has dug before, and his recording projects always bring surprises to the listener. Sometimes, the works he unearths are not unquestionably great, but never mind, they deserve to be heard. And to all of these forgotten compositions Kaiser applies the same winning combination of polished skills and overflowing enthusiasm, establishing a new standard for this repertoire.


Take the present CD, featuring flute concertos by Ignaz Holzbauer (Kaiser’s second foray into the composer’s œuvre , the first being a Camerata Köln recording of Holzbauer’s chamber works). Granted, Holzbauer is not exactly a household name today, but while he was alive he achieved good positions, and was a respected name in Europe. The son of a Viennese leather merchant, Holzbauer was trained in singing, piano, violin, and cello, and was basically self-taught in composition. He traveled extensively, and worked in Ljubljana (for the Count Thurn-Valsassina of Laibach), in Moravia (at the court of Count Rottal of Holešov), in Vienna, in Stuttgart, and in Mannheim. In fact, he is one of the exponents of the famous Mannheim School.


His output is quite impressive and made up of good music, very finely crafted, not exactly staggeringly original, but rich, elegant, fresh—the kind of writing that is usually more fun to play than to listen to. Kaiser and La Stagione Frankfurt sink their teeth in these concertos, and make them sound bright, lively, melancholic, intense, soulful, and energetic, as the mood requires. In the passages where the flute has cadenzas, or at least some freedom from the orchestral texture, Kaiser infuses the lines with sensuality or virtuosic gestures, which bring the music closer to the Classical style, even though the Quantz flute he chose for this CD has a round “Baroque” tone—contrary to many “period” flutists, Kaiser is not afraid to sound admittedly woody, and does not try to emulate a modern flute. The ensemble provides the perfect counterpart for the soloist’s flights of fancy, with a large dynamic scope, supple rhythmic drive, and very crisp articulations. Overall, the sound is so luscious that it takes the mind a while to get around the idea that this is actually only a chamber group (10 musicians, that’s all!). The result of this felicitous combination is music that is permeated with color and flexibility, and which creates a vivid image, one that stays with the listener long after the tunes have faded.


FANFARE: Laura Rónai

A member of the Mannheim school, Ignaz Holzbauer (1711–1783) was a composer of symphonies, concertos, operas and chamber music who wrote in the style of the Sturm and Drang movement. In his penultimate opera "Tod der Dido" [The Death of Dido] (1779), Ignaz Holzbauer presented himself not only as a master of fine musical word interpretation, but also as an imaginative music dramatist. While the original Italian version underlined his position as one of the leading opera composers of the time, the German version which he wrote a year later additionally emphasizes his position as a pioneer of the German National Opera. Frieder Bernius therefore chose this version for a production performed at the Schwetzingen Festival in 1997, which is now being released here for the first time.

Ignaz Holzbauer (1711-1783) was an extremely prolific composer of symphonies, operas, chamber music and concertos. His opera G�nther von Schwarzburg is rooted in the history of Germany, and it tells the tale of the eponymously named 14th century king. This re-issue of the 1960 live recording is sung in Italian, a first then and now, featuring Luigi Infantino, Raffaele Ari�, and most intriguingly Anna Moffo in her prime along with the RAI Milano conducted by Olivero de Fabritiis.