In Krzysztof Pendercki's catalogue of works, the ones in which wind instruments play a dominant role actually do not constitute an impressive collection, however, they draw attention with their variety. The four compositions on this new release represent the concertare rule; on the one hand, they document the attempts of investigating the sound nature as well as technical and expressive possibilities of the particular instruments. On the other hand, they serve as a record of Pencerecki's change of style within the period of almost 50 years.

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REVIEW:

The Capriccio for oboe and 11 strings is a genuinely virtuoso piece, as much for the string players as for the soloists, but that provides no problems for the outstanding Sinfonia Iuventus, and Arkadiusz Krupa is a commanding soloist. The epic Horn Concerto, subtitled Winterreise though devoid of any quotations from Schubert, dates from 2008 and is naturally utterly different in style. Its opening, mysterious and portentous, may well constitute the most beautiful two minutes of music the composer has ever written.

– Gramophone