For its second Supraphon disc, the Afflatus Quintet turns from the spicy harmonic world of early-20th-century France (on the earlier release) to the simpler, gentler sonic canvas offered by Mozart. I would say it’s a bit too simple and gentle however: the sound of the five wind instruments playing in the same compositional style, with more or less the same voicing (and with six of the 12 tracks in the key of F) begins to wear pretty quickly. Certainly, this is just the kind of thing some listeners love, and Afflatus proves able to fit itself into whatever stylistic apparel the music requires–and does so with consistency and spirited self-confidence. Thus, the early Divertimenti in F and B major proceed with a crispness of phrasing and lightness of timbre that Mozart chamber music fans will find endearing.
The late works, the Fantasias and the Andante, continue in this same vein though the Afflatus players take care to communicate the music’s greater gravity. Not so convincing are the opera overture arrangements, which in this context lose the dramatic energy and dynamic contrast of the originals. Still, this disc makes for great “easy listening”, and may even be useful to parents wishing to stimulate the “Mozart effect” in some unsuspecting children.
