This release draws from the celebrated series of Boston Symphony Chamber Players recordings made by DG during the 1970s. Berg, Schoenberg, and Webern made these Strauss waltz arrangements at the behest of Vienna’s Society for Private Performances. The resulting scaled-down versions bring enhanced rhythmic and textural clarity as well as opportunities for individual expression, of which the Boston players take full advantage as they imbue their performances with a palpable sense of joy. DG’s recording magically creates an intimate setting in the largish Symphony Hall acoustic.
Stravinsky’s piquant harmonies and astringent sonorities whisk away the perfumed atmosphere of the Strauss like a cool wind blowing into a parlor. The Octet for Wind Instruments finds the Boston players even more energized by the music’s rhythmic and timbral challenges. The same goes for the brief but no less compelling Ragtime, Pastorale, and Concertino. If only there had been room to include the Septet from the original LP! Oh well, I shouldn’t complain in the midst of such riches. DG’s engineers naturally backed off a bit for this more dynamic music yet still maintained a chamber-like atmosphere that places the instruments quite vividly in your listening room. A true delight that should not be missed. [6/8/2002]