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CD Feature/ I Fiati Italiani: "J. Triebensee"

  Tobias

We all know that too much sugar is bad for us. But sometimes you just can’t resist. A fresh and warm eclair right from the oven, a Belgian Waffel with cherries, a crepe with fresh fruit and Grand Marnier – who are we to say no to that? Or to the “Fiati Itliani” playing Joseph Triebensee for that matter?

Even though information on him is scarce, Triebensee is an interesting character for two reasons: He is one of those all but forgotten protagonists of the Vienese Classic that offer enough melodic potential to justify a broad rediscovery – which might be put down to his love of Mozart, under whom he peformed the “Zauberflöte” in his youth. And secondly, he was one of the great composers for “Harmonie ensembles”, which were made up exclusively of a relatively small group of winds. This type of instrumentation was highly popular at his time and Joseph was instrumental not only in equipping the bands with arrangements of popular melodies from the opera, but also in writing new pieces. Some of which are assembled on this disc, which highlights Triebensee as a man of his time, yet with a distinct handwriting. These pieces may easily be characterised as coffeetable music and they are indeed perfect as a backdrop to casual conversation or to waking up on a lazy Sunday morning with the sun shining in through the blinds and the smell of fresh coffee in the air. But the weightlesness and almost hazy ambiance of these partitas offers a lot of dreamy enjoyment of their own – like floating in a capsule deep in outer space. Ivana Franscisci joins the ranks of the “I Fiati Italiani” on the “Concertino for Piano and Winds” and her shimmering touch lingers over the notes like dew drop on a spring leaf.

Occasionaly, tracks take a short turn to minor chords, but overall they remain persistently harmonious and friendly, almost like a Classical pastiche. Admittedly, this is no low.calory musical diet, with a high sugar factor and definitely not intended for daily consumption. But for those little moments, when you just can’t resist, this is the perfect acoustic desert.

Homepage: Aulia Records
Homepage: I Fiati Italiani