Aside from skill, soul, and wonderful melodies, the wind chamber music of Carl Reinecke has nothing to offer the listener. And as this splendid 1992 recording re-released by Naxos in 2008 shows, that is more than enough. Performed by members of the
Boston Symphony, Reinecke's Wind Octet, Op. 216, and Wind Sextet, Op. 271, are light and airy works with bouncy rhythms, buoyant tempos, warm harmonies, memorable tunes, and an enviable grasp of form and proportion. Used to playing under a conductor, the
Boston Symphony musicians' poised and attentive performances prove they are entirely capable of producing balanced interpretations on their own. The central work here, an eight-movement arrangement by Ernesto Köhler for flute and piano of Reinecke's piano cycle Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe, traces a musical biography in vignettes like "Birthday March" and "Bridal Procession." Reinecke's Von der Wiege bis zum Grabe won't challenge Liszt's tone poem of the same name for musical and emotional profundity, but it is far more charming and tuneful, and for some listeners, that may be just the ticket.