The fortieth anniversary of the Marlboro Festival proceeds with the second installment of CD reissues, notably these wind-music recordings which have previously been available only by mail order... The Barber-Nielsen-Hindemith CD is conflated from two more MRS LP/cassette issues: Barber and Hindemith from MR/MRSC-15, Nielsen from MR/MRSC-5, respectively issued in 1983 and 1981, although the Nielsen was recorded as long ago as 1971. Samuel Barber's Summer Music, in this conscientious account, will make its whole effect upon those previous to this composer's music. The Nielsen quintet has its classicism emphasized by a quickish-tempo'd tightly phrased performance, polished and exciting, full as it should be of well-aimed instrumental characterization. Paul Hindemith's 1957-58 octet quite simply gets the best performance in its regrettably exiguous discographic history, muscular and finely focused. No wind music fancier should be without this CD.
