Hindemith: Kleine Kammermusik for wind quintet, Op. 24 No. 2

“Hindemith’s organ writing is altogether a splendid continuation of tradition, though his bracing combination of organ and chamber ensemble retains its novelty. The wind quintet is Hindemith at his bubbliest.” Sunday Times, 24th May 2009 ***

“…the lion's share of the honours on this stimulating disc from the Britten Sinfonia goes to the excellent Daniel Hyde. His rhythmic liveliness and innate sense of the structure of each movement is an asset throughout, and the new organ at Jesus College, Cambridge ideally suits the lean contrapuntal idiom of these works. ...the triumph of this disc is an extremely exciting account of Hindermith's first organ concerto, the 1927 Kammermusik No. 7... Throughout, incisive rhythmic articulation and clear delineation of line allows the music's essential vitality - animal as well as intellectual - to come through with the greatest possible impact. Highly recommended.” BBC Music Magazine, August 2009 *****

“This disc positively sparkles! With such intelligent and innovative programming, it is the ideal introduction to Hindermith's organ music. There is plenty of registrational variety… in Daniel Hyde's nicely judged performances of the three solo sonatas. Hindermith's impish characteristics are more to the fore in the wind quintet Kleine Kammermusik. Nicholas Daniel's oboe-playing is an especial delight, and the third-movement waltz and folky finale are brought off to perfection.” Gramophone Magazine, October 2009

Following their award winning disc of the music of Harrison Birtwistle, the Galliard Ensemble present this exciting new collection of twentieth century wind quintets. The disc includes some of the well known highlights of the wind quintet repertoire as well as some less well known pieces, including a premier recording of Carrapatoso's Five Elegies. The group's sparkling performance of the Six Bagatelles has the benefit of direct input from Gyorgy Ligeti himself in preparatory sessions for this recording.

"On Naxos, the British quintet led by the horn player Michael Thompson plays Hindemith's entertaining 'Little Chamber Music' and Samuel Barber's rhapsodic Summer Music, together with a less familiar but very fresh 'divertimento' by the Swede Lars-Erik Larsson; and it co-opts a bass clarinet for Janacek's extraordinary Youth, a reminiscence of childhood written at the age of 70. An attractive programme, and the performances are accomplished and affectionate..." - BBC Music (Anthony Burton), June 2000