Chamber Music: Kwintet, Octet, Septet (Villa Musica) (2007)

"These interesting works are robustly muscular, intellectually inventive, stylistically modern but still more or less tonally centered. Together they show a composite of Hindemith as a young, a mature, and an old man. The early quintet (1923) written for the neo-Brahmsian ensemble of clarinet and string quartet is probably the toughest piece to sell, but clarinetist Ulf Rodenhäuser does a superlative job of making its austere expressionism sound lyrical. The mature septet (1948), scored for the unique combination of flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, and trumpet, is a sort of latter-day super-virtuoso serenade, and the performance here is impeccable. The late octet (1958), written for the pseudo-Schubertian ensemble of clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, two violas, cello, and double bass, is austere yet accessible, and the players combine the lyric with the virtuoso in a way that warms the piece's chilly severity." (James Leonard, Allmusic; waarderingen: 4,5/5 voor uitvoering, 5/5 voor opname)