Paul Hindemith - Chamber Music for Horn (Pentaèdre)

Information

Composer: Paul Hindemith

• Sonata for horn and piano
• Sonata for alto horn and piano
• Concerto for horn and orchestra (arr. Simon Bourget)
• Sonata for four horns
• Kleine Kammermusik, Op. 24 No. 2

Louis-Philippe Marsolais,horn

Simon Bourget, horn

Louis-Pierre Bergeron, horn

Xavier Fortin, horn

Pentaèdre

    Ariane Brisson, flute

    Martin Carpentier, clarinet

    Élise Poulin, oboe

    Mathieu Lussier, bassoon

    Louis-Philippe Marsolais, horn

David Jalbert, piano

Date: 2021

Label: ATMA

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Review

Canadian horn player Louis-Philippe Marsolais is a busy man, playing not only n the Orchestre Métropolitain but also chamber music, often in the company of the wind quintet Pentaèdre which is featured on this recording. I was convinced to review this CD by hearing some clips of him on YouTube and being very impressed by his bright, open tone, so different from the average horn players nowadays who put their hand too far into the bell.

I was not disappointed. Marsolais not only revels in his open sound on this recording, but he plays everything with brio, bringing the music to life in a way I’ve seldom heard. Collectors of vintage recordings like to hold up Dennis Brain’s recordings of the Horn Sonata and the Concerto, but to be honest, he didn’t play the music all that well. He sounds a bit stodgy, even a little tentative. I don’t think Hindemith’s music was very comfortable for him. Marsolais, on the other hand, seems to revel in this repertoire.

Praise must also be given to pianist David Jalbert for his tight, lively accompaniment. It was also a pleasant surprise to hear the chamber wind arrangement of the orchestral part of the Horn Concerto. I’m not sure that I liked it by comparison with the original score, but it’s certainly played in a lively manner by Pentaèdre along with Marsolais.

The other three horn players in the Four-Horn Sonata are also very fine, making this an excellent performance as well, and Pentaèdre also contributes to a lively performance of the Kleine Kammermusik No. 2. This is certainly a delightful disc and, if you don’t already have these works in your collection, is an excellent place to start.

— Lynn René Bayley

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Paul Hindemith (16 November 1895 – 28 December 1963) was a German composer and theorist. Studied in Frankfurt, he gained early experience as a violinist and became a prominent composer by the late 1920s. His works range from chamber music and song cycles to operas such as Mathis der Maler. He taught in Turkey, the United States and Switzerland. Opposed to twelve-tone techniques, he sought to revitalize tonality, developing his own harmonic theory, outlined in The Craft of Musical Composition. Hindemith also promoted Gebrauchsmusik ("utility music"), viewing composers as craftsmen serving social needs

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Pentaèdre, founded in 1985, has performed extensively across Canada, Europe, the United States and the Middle East. The group has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Christoph Prégardien, Rufus Müller and Karina Gauvin, as well as leading chamber ensembles including the Penderecki String Quartet. Its discography of fifteen recordings features innovative interpretations of works by composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Igor Stravinsky, earning critical acclaim and awards. The ensemble also promotes new repertoire through initiatives like the Fonds Normand Forget.

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