It would be funny if the artists weren’t so serious. Here is yet another teeny tiny period-instrument band, recorded up close so that they make a much bigger sound than they would in even a modest concert room, with those caustic strings making noises that no sane music lover of any period would have tolerated for more than five seconds. It’s a depressing commentary on the general lack of basic musicality, even among musicians. And yet, the performances have wonderful moments.
Carl Stamitz’s music has all of the best qualities of his Mannheim colleagues: dynamite crescendos (those in the D minor symphony are terrifying), delicious wind writing (obviously in “La chasse”), and touchingly pathetic slow movements. The music is really enjoyable, the performances, however misguided, full of gusto. It’s impossible not to give the players credit for their commitment to the cause–it’s just that “the cause” isn’t entirely a musical one. You be the judge.
