Franz Danzi has gone down in music history and into the repertoire of countless ensembles as a prolific and ingenious composer of appealing wind quintets. The fact that this genre represents only a fraction of his highly diverse catalogue of works is often overlooked, for Danzi was among those luminaries of the "transitional era" who did not satisfy the general preference for clich�s. Heir to the Mannheim tradition on the one hand, visionary of the dawning Romantic era on the other; admirer of Mozart and kindred spirit of Weber; obedient court musician and quiet rebel-this combination makes for some anachronistic surprises: how else could anyone have written these classical, delicate Rococo trios, while in Vienna a certain Beethoven was pushing the boundaries of what was possible? Danzi could, and how!
