Here’s an adventurous CD that does good double duty, providing a showcase for the wind players of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin while supplying good recordings of unjustly neglected works that are seldom found on CD. The jolly, lyrical Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto is perhaps the best-known work; it receives a rollicking, virtuoso performance. The tightly knit Jean Francaix piece, loaded with Gallic charm, proves a delightful discovery, as does the dark, brooding work by Walter Piston. The lovely Frank Martin work makes exceptional use of the flute in its low register. Athanel the Trumpeter reworks music that Franz Waxman wrote for the film The Horn Blows At Midnight into a charming comic overture with quirky harmonic changes that are sure to bring a chuckle to listeners. Throughout this program, the solo players of the orchestra credit themselves with virtuoso readings that show excellent musicianship as well as sound technique. The recorded sound is detailed and has good presence, and though the solo instruments seem ideally spotlighted and balanced, the overall ensemble sounds just a trifle coarse at times, and the soundstage would benefit from more depth.
