Beethoven: Septet in E flat major, Op. 20

The rediscovery of a musical culture: for decades now, the Consortium Classicum has stood for the revival of an all but forgotten ensemble culture practised at the royal courts of the 19th century. It is the wonderful sound of their playing and their distinctive individual style that make this 1974 Electrola production so attractive.

Recording location: Sofiensaal, Vienna, Austria, March 1958 (Schubert: Octet), March 1959 (Beethoven: Septet), October 1969 (Beethoven: Sextet, Quintet)

This recording forms part of a series of 10 reissues celebrating the glorious Decca recordings from the 1950s-1970s of the Wiener Oktett (Vienna Octet), made up of key principals from the Wiener Philharmoniker and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Five titles were released in September and the remaining five are released this month.

This volume in the Wiener Oktett Decca Legacy includes two staple works in the ensemble’s repertoire: the Beethoven Septet (in its 1959 recording and the Schubert Octet (in its 1957 recording). Beethoven was rather miffed when he heard that, of all his works, his divertimento-like Septet was wildly successful in England. This anthology also includes two chamber music rarities by Beethoven – his Op. 29 String Quintet and the Sextet, Op. 81b, which, for its inclusion of the difficult parts for two horns (superbly negotiated by Wolfgang Tomböck and Volker Altmann) has made this recording a collector’s item much sought after by horn players. Both, the Quintet and the Sextet make their first international appearance on CD.

Beethoven was most distressed when he discovered that of all his recent compositions, it was his Septet that was gaining greatest favour by Viennese audiences. He considered it somewhat unworthy of himself! Yet, the music continues to endure and this marvellous recording is now coupled on CD with the more intimate Serenade as well as Schumann's Adagio and Allegro for horn and piano. All recordings are released internationally on CD for the first time.

"(Septet) ...if it is to be attacked with seemingly youthful vigour, then clearly the Melos Ensemble are the players willing and able to do it..." Gramophone.

Ensemble 360 was formed in 2005 to take up residency in South Yorkshire with Music in the Round, succeeding The Lindsays who retired as a quartet in July 2005. The ensemble brings together musicians from across the globe to form one versatile ensemble of eleven musicians; five wind players, a pianist, double bassist and the Elias String Quartet. Their home performance space is the Crucible Studio in Sheffield – a 400 seat intimate venue with an extremely special atmosphere. Ensemble 360 believes in its concerts being informal, friendly and relaxed occasions and, although the musicians perform in many traditional chamber music venues they perform ‘in the round’ wherever possible. It is from this ‘in the round’ format that they take their name, Ensemble 360.

Wind-powered Beethoven — an obvious choice for the Naturally series! Naturally Beethoven features two major works transcribed for wind ensemble. The Symphony No. 7 is a version authorized by Beethoven himself, scored for two oboes, two clarinets, two horns, two bassoons and one contrabassoon. The composer’s Septet opus 20 — originally scored for strings and winds— is presented in a transcription by Jiri Druzecky and Antonin Myslik.

Bonus material includes two rarely-heard songs by Beethoven, Ecco quel fiero istante,and In questa tomba oscura — works composed in 1795 and 1807 respectively.

These works are two jewels of the chamber repertoire and belong to the serenade genre which was extremely popular in Beethoven’s times. Today they continue to offer us genuine listening pleasure, especially when they are performed by virtuoso performers such as the members of Consortium Classicum.