KROMMER-KRAMÁŘ F.V., HAYDN J., MOZART W.A. OBOE CONCERTOS/ F.Hanták oboe / BRSO, PRSO, CPO

František Vincenc Krommer-Kramář (1759-1831) - Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in F major, Op. 52 (1805) 22:53

1 I. Allegro 9:27

2 II. Adagio 8:04

3 III. Rondo 5:13

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) - Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in C major,

Hob VIIg/C1 (c. 1800) 23:56

4 I. Allegro spiritoso 11:49

5 II. Andante 6:30

6 III. Rondo 5:30

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) - Sinfonia concertante in E flat major for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn and Orchestra K 297b (KAnh 9/C14.01, 1778) 32:05

7 I. Allegro 13:47

8 II. Adagio 9:36

9 III. Andantino con variazioni 8:31

František Hanták oboe (1-9)

Brno Radio Chamber Orchestra, conductor Antonín Devátý (1-3)

Prague Symphony Orchestra, conductor Harry Newstone (4-6)

Miloš Kopecký clarinet, Miroslav Štefek French horn, Karel Vacek bassoon (7-9)

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Václav Smetáček (7-9)

The common denominator of the recordings of these three virtuoso concertos is the name of the soloist. In 1932 František Hanták, still a student, was called up by Václav Talich to assume the post of first oboe of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Hanták was concurrently a member of Czech Nonet and later on also performed with the Czech Wind Quintet and the ground-breaking ensemble Ars rediviva. Following on from the previous CD comprising concertos by Mozart, Richard Strauss and Martinů (SU39552011), this album features other gems from Hanták's discography in Supraphon's archives: the legendary 1951 recording of Kramář's Concerto in F major, the "Haydn" concerto (with the yet to be clarified question of its authorship), with the Prague Symphony Orchestra and Mozart's lovely Sinfonia concertante, K 297b, with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Václav Smetáček (1965). The first two concertos appear here for the first time on CD in a sensitively remastered version. If to today's listener the recording technology of the 1950s and 1960s may seem to leave something to be desired, the performers' sheer musicality and engagement certainly more than make up for it.

(Supraphon 2009)