Jan Boland Trio -Trios for Flute, Viola & Guitar

Order Number fds57945

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Matiegka & Beethoven: Trios for flute, viola & guitar. Jan Boland, flute, John Dowdall, guitar, David Miller, viola. The same trio that brought you "Matiegka: Czech Chamber Music" (FDS 57927) named "Best of the Year" by American Record Guide.

"Wenceslaus Matiegka, born in Bohemia in 1773, wrote solo and ensemble music for the guitar. He must have liked Beethoven's opus 8 Serenade, because not only did he arrange it for violin, viola, and guitar, he wrote a Grand Trio which resembles it in style. The performers on this CD take the arranging one step further by adapting the violin parts of both works for flute. (This isn't made clear until you read the booklet notes almost to their end.) So, what we hear on this CD is an arrangement, once removed, of the Matiegka, and twice-removed of the Beethoven. The combination of flute, guitar, and viola is delightful. Be advised, though, that "substituting the flute for the violin parts necessitated some adjustments," mostly because the flute and the violin have different ranges, and because the flute can't play pizzicato. The booklet notes also hint that Matiegka's Grand Trio might be better than its model. I'm not sure about that, but I have no doubt that it is music that should not fail to please most listeners with its playfulness. The fourth movement is a "Menuetto a la Polacca" (Minuet in the style of a Polonaise), which sounds self-contradictory, but it hardly matters, given the music's high spirits. The Rondo's chirpy qualities probably are emphasized by the use of the flute. Although there's nothing about the Grand Trio that "pushed the envelope" of music in early 19th-century Vienna (let alone today), it's cheerful and well-crafted, and it rests easily on the ear. Boland, Dowdall, and Miller play instruments from the 19th century. ... Boland's flute, in particular, has a wistful character. There are some passages that test the players' intonation; one can hear the difficulties, but the difficulties are overcome. The performances are no larger than the music, which is as they should be. I gather that Boland and Dowdall regularly perform together, and that Miller is the "guest violist." (No viola jokes, please.)Raymond Tuttle, classical.net