Product ReviewsChamber Music for Winds (CD, May-2008, 3 Discs, Vox)

My advice to all Beethoven enthusiasts: GET THIS!

The focus of this review is limited to the Opus 16 Quintet. I have owned and enjoyed a cassette of this particular performance for more than 30 years, and have basked in its beauty hundreds (if not thousands) of times. Having heard just about everything that B. has ever composed, and although this is 'but' an early work of his (1796), it yet remains one of my all-time favorites: particularly the Andante Cantabile. My considered opinion is that Beethoven shines the brightest in his SLOW movements, and here we have more than ample proof -- particularly this unmatchable PERFORMANCE of it (which fully brings out its exquisite beauty). The Abbey Simon piano-solo introduction of the andante theme - and the Richard Woodhams' oboe 'solo' (towards the beginning of the movement) - are worth every penny one might pay for this product. It is reported that in Beethoven's day the audiences would sometimes stop the performances, and demand an immediate encore of particularly beautiful and expressive movements, before allowing the artists to continue on with what followed. I have often found myself doing this very thing with this second movement ( ,, that is: by pressing the 'back-track' button on my player ,, :-) It has been somewhat frustrating, for many years, to be unable to find a professionally digitized remastering of this performance from the original audio tapes. I had just about given up hope, until recently I found an EDITED version of the 3rd movement on one CD, and an EDITED version of the 2nd movement on another CD. Finally (and out of desperation) I emailed VOX Turnabout, pleading with them to release the entire performance - expecting to get the usual 'no-reply,' or 'form-letter' reply, referring me to OTHER renditions of the same composition. What a delight it was then to be directed to this 3-CD release called "Chamber Music for Winds," which has 'buried' in the middle of it my Vox Cassette "professionally remastered from the original analog tapes"! There are nuances of the instruments shining forth which I have never heard before - again - even after innumerable listens on the old cassette format. There is the slightest 'hiss' discernable (if one forces oneself to listen hard enough), but the improvement in clarity is like night and day. I could write much more about side "B" of the same tape (Opus 25), which is ALSO included on this release, but that would make the review too long. My advice to all Beethoven enthusiasts is: GET THIS!Read full review...