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Quintet 81 & Sextet 30 on SACD

Already during his lifetime George Onslow was known as the "French Beethoven." This extraordinary distinction earned above all for his manifold chamber music does not do complete justice to his special rank. On this release, Markus Becker teams up with the Ma'alot Quintet for a closer look at Onslow's virtuoso side. Functioning as virtuoso concertos for the salon, both the Wind Quintet op. 81 and the Sextet op. 30 fully satisfied the discriminating taste of Parisian high society. Onslow began his occupation with wind instruments relatively late. The flute and other members of the wind family first inspired his interest when innovations like the ring-keyed technique developed by the inventive Theobald Bohm enormously expanded the range of possibilities for their use. Especially the late wind quintet op. 81 shows a wide scope: as for the musical substance Onslow puts the airy, serenade-like genre on the same level as the alleged graver chamber music for strings. In this respect the Sextet op. 30 is a singular exception and even a double one: certainly more out of business considerations than for artistic reasons, Onslow also published the salon concerto in a version with string quintet. The Ma'alot Quintet and Markus Becker present the wind version with captivating verve. The fine resolution of the instrumental colors and the room sound registered with filigree precision of course come across especially well on this recording.