Paul Wranitzky
was a Viennese composer who knew
Haydn
and
Beethoven
and was highly enough esteemed by the latter to be invited to conduct his
Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
. His music was not cutting-edge, and he fell into obscurity after his death in 1808. However, he was admired for his gifts as an orchestrator, on display at several places on this 2024
Naxos
release. The
Symphony in D major ("Con musica turca")
of 1795 is one of a number of works of the day to make use of Turkish "Janissary" flavors; those come in the last movement and are cleverly gradually introduced. There is another
Symphony in C major, Op. 35, No. 1
, in a
vein, if not so harmonically sophisticated, and orchestral excerpts from a pair of operas. The ones from
Merkur, der Heiratsstifter
("
Mercury, the Matchmaker
") are sparkling. The Czech city of Pardubice is home to about 92,000 souls, and one could hardly find a better illustration of the musical richness of that land than the work of the
Czech Chamber Orchestra Pardubice
under conductor
Marek ¿tilec
; the playing has a lightness that is ideal for this music.
'
Wranitzky
series may be of most interest to Classical-era devotees, but it is really enjoyable for anybody. ~ James Manheim