Belle Époque: French Music for Wind Woodwind Piano Chandos

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“… Orsino gives vigorous and capable performances that some readers will find worthwhile, especially if they are fascinated with having the rarely heard Roussel and Caplet on the same album. Walker plays with heartfelt phrasing; Frank-Gemill is solid on the horn; and Kolesnikov will delight keyboardists with his magnificent skill, clarity, and musicianship …”

Patrick Hanudel – American Record Guide – September/October 2021

“This delightful collection of French wind music contains many gems, mostly miniatures. The major work is the Quintet Op 9. an early work by André Caplet (l878 - 1925) who was a friend of Debussy's, and orchestrated several of the latter's works The four-movement Quintet is the longest on this disk (27:33) with a charming Scherzo… the engineers have captured the light-textured sounds of these instruments.”

Robert Benson – classicalcdreview.com – May 2021

Performance ***** Recording *****

“A delightful and thoughtful debut disc from the Orsino Ensemble… a thoroughly charming recording.”

Christopher Dingle – BBC Music magazine – June 2021

“…The Orsino Ensemble contains some of the cream of modern British wind players and this shines forth in their excellent, intuitive playing. Their ensemble work is sparkling throughout, and while I admit to preferring the pieces where a combination of winds play, their soloists also shine when they get their opportunity to perform. Pavel Kolesnikov’s contribution cannot be dismissed either; his insightful pianism shows that he is an excellent chamber recitalist, and his contributions here are most telling. The disc is aided by a nice acoustic and superb recorded sound and the booklet notes helpfully provide insight into the music. This is a most rewarding and welcome and rewarding disc, which I hope will be the first of many by the Orsino Ensemble.”

Stuart Sillitoe – MusicWeb-International.com – 13 May 2021

“…here’s a disc that beguiles and dazzles in every bar… this is all-star playing of the highest level.”

Fiona Maddocks – The Guardian – 8 May 2021

“… With a lot of energy, enthusiasm but also sensuality the Orsino Ensemble and Pavel Koleskinov at the piano play French music for wind instruments by Roussel, Debussy, Saint-Saëns, Chaminade, Koechlin and Caplet. The spontaneous and communicative music-making of the five musicians … can only inspire. The excellent recording technique guarantees maximum audibility and presence. “ *****

Remy Franck – Pizzicato.com.lu – 2 May 2021

“…It’s an engaging, if eclectic disc… As one might expect given walker’s line-up, the playing is exemplary. Ensemble and counterpoint are precise and taut in the Divertissment and Caplet’s Quintet, and the long clarinet melody in the latter’s Adagio is given space to unwind, breathe and really sing as played by Matthew Hunt… Kolesnikov is a fine chamber pianist, always knowing when to assert himself and when to draw back, really standing out in Saint-Saëns’s Caprice, where the piano-writing, like the rest of it, is nothing if not virtuoso…”

Tim Ashley – Gramophone magazine – May 2021

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