One of the least explored and potentially most rewarding musical niches of the Classical period is the extensive repertoire of wind ensemble music composed by innumerable fine composers, most of them Czech. Franz Krommer is certainly one of the most successful of this great school. His wind Partitas are genuine symphonies scored for pairs of oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and horns, with a double bass or contrabassoon added to firm up the bass line. Actually, Op. 45 No. 2 tosses a trumpet into the mix as well, while the early Partita in E-flat (which may or may not be by Krommer) is a true double horn concerto with wind accompaniment. Krommer's music, like Haydn's, artfully mixes formal ingenuity with folk-influenced melodies (particularly in the minuets and finales), and demonstrates the exceptionally high standard of performance typical of contemporary players, horns in particular. The Michael Thompson Wind Ensemble has been working its way through this repertoire in a series of excellent Naxos recordings, of which this is certainly one. The players attack each piece with enthusiasm and the superb technique necessary to sustain such lengthy and complex music as the First Partita's second movement Romance. Charm, wit, sophistication--Krommer has all of these qualities, and these performances will delight you.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com