Pre-Order: Milan Wind Quintet - Gebauer: Three Wind Qnts [CD]

Francois-Rene Gebauer (1773-1845) was an important French bassoonist, teacher, and composer active during the late Classical and early Romantic periods. Born in Versailles, he came from a remarkable musical family in which several brothers also became professional musicians and composers. Gebauer studied with the celebrated composer and bassoon virtuoso Francois Devienne and quickly established himself as one of France's leading bassoonists. He served in the Swiss Guard orchestra, later joined the Musique de la Garde Nationale, and performed with the orchestra of the Paris Opera for more than two decades. He was also a professor of bassoon at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire, where he helped shape a new generation of French wind players. His output includes bassoon concertos, chamber music, pedagogical works, and numerous compositions for wind instruments.Among Gebauer's most attractive chamber works are his Three Wind Quintets, written for the standard ensemble of flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon. These works belong to the early development of the wind quintet genre, which was emerging as an important chamber-music form in the early nineteenth century. The quintets display Gebauer's deep understanding of wind instruments and his ability to balance their contrasting timbres.The three quintets combine elegance, virtuosity, and expressive lyricism. While rooted in the Classical style of composers such as Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, they also reveal the more dramatic and colorful character associated with early Romantic music. Each instrument is given opportunities for solo display, yet the musical conversation remains balanced and collaborative. The Third Quintet in C minor is particularly notable for it's expressive depth and energetic contrasts. Played by the leading Italian clarinet player Luigi Magistrelli and the Milan Wind Quintet.