There’s little if anything by this composer in the current CD catalog, and this recording makes a welcome addition. Among the few contemporary references to Alexander Fesca (1820-49) is one from Robert Schumann, who wrote a short article on some of the composer’s youthful piano pieces for his journal, Die Neue Zeitschrift für Musik in 1840. For what it’s worth, Schumann described these as “a glimpse into a rich if not yet controlled musical mind”, though a year later he despaired of Fesca’s capabilities and wrote, “if he continues to indulge his own aspirations, we must regard him as lost.” Fesca probably would have been lost, too, were it not for enterprising discs such as this, which includes direct and convincing performances of his two septets. On this excellently produced CPO recording the Linos Ensemble does its utmost to represent these works as music deserving to be heard. Both septets are identically scored for piano, oboe, horn, violin, viola, cello, and bass. Being a virtuoso pianist himself, Fesca produced pieces that are in effect piano concertos in miniature, so there’s plenty of showy passagework, even if the melodic material is sometimes repetitive and the musical architecture predictable. However, both caveats are lessened somewhat in the wake of the assured and intelligent readings that really make the best of the available material, supported by clear, well-balanced sonics. No one is going to suggest this is great music, but it’s sufficiently tuneful and well-constructed to make it worth hearing, especially for anyone who enjoys exploring repertorial byways and lesser-known but competent composers.
