Even the very first printed editions of Bach’s incomparable Goldberg Variations contained arrangements for ensembles of melody instruments.
The Aulos Quartet has recorded a new version of Josef Rheinberger’s arrangement that grabs and keeps our listening attention for two good reasons: the ideal transparency created by the mixed ensemble of strings and winds and the employment of the 'oboe profonda', a rarely heard instrument enormously expanding the tonal resources of the oboe family.
The musicians of the Aulos Quartet have based their arrangement on the version produced by Rheinberger for two pianos more than a hundred years ago. In this version, the oboe and violin play the treble, the oboe profonda takes charge of the tenor part, and the violoncello supplies the bass.
The rewarding arrangement by the Swiss ensemble also brings out many a previously unnoticed detail even for seasoned listeners, and is recorded in MDG's 2+2+2 sound.
