This disc brings together a varied and consistently interesting program of Czech music for winds. In the Reicha works the Berlin Philharmonic Quintet plays with perfect intonation and balance. Every one of the seemingly unlimited range of colors that Reicha draws from his ensemble tells with unobtrusive clarity, and the works are perfectly paced. The last of the pieces for English horn and wind quartet, an adagio in siciliano rhythm, is particularly haunting, and it marries well with the second movement of Mládí.
The Martinu performance also has an appealing lightness, with nicely sprung rhythms and the composer’s jazz inflections relished, but not to the point of affectation. The wind component of this piece uses two bassoons instead of bassoon and horn, while the scherzo is for flute and piano alone, and once again the quality of both the solo and ensemble work is outstanding.
Mládí isn’t on quite the same level as the rest of the program. The very qualities of smoothness and blend that work so well in the other pieces fail to characterize Janácek’s music as vividly as it should be. Note, for example, the extremely legato articulation in the second movement, and the soft edge to the accompaniments in the finale. The virtuosity remains impressive, and the bass clarinet has a wonderfully fat and fruity timbre, but ultimately the music demands a sharper profile. Still, for the intelligence of the program as a whole, not to mention the outstanding sonics, this disc remains very recommendable–nearly, but not quite, perfect. [10/21/2011]