Review: Ensemble Ouranos – Constellations

Constellations

Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937): Le tombeau de Couperin, M. 68:
1 Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin, M. 68: I. Prélude (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by Mason Jones) 02:57
2 Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin, M. 68: II. Fugue (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by Mason Jones) 02:56
3 Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin, M. 68: V. Menuet (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by Mason Jones) 04:32
4 Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin, M. 68: IV. Rigaudon (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by Mason Jones) 03:03
5 Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte, M. 19 (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by Guy du Cheyron) 05:48
Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981): Summer Music, Op. 31:
6 Barber: Summer Music, Op. 31: I. Slow and Indolent 02:46
7 Barber: Summer Music, Op. 31: II. Lively, Still Faster 04:08
8 Barber: Summer Music, Op. 31: III. Faster 01:59
9 Barber: Summer Music, Op. 31: IV. Tempo Primo, Joyous and Flowing 03:15
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975): String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by David Walter):
10 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by David Walter): I. Largo 05:26
11 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by David Walter): II. Allegro molto 02:43
12 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by David Walter): III. Allegretto 04:34
13 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by David Walter): IV. Largo 05:20
14 Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 (Arr. for Wind Ensemble by David Walter): V. Largo 04:18
Elégie. Adagio (From Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Op. 29, Act I Scene 3) [Arr. for Wind Ensemble by Nicolas Ramez]:
15 Shostakovich: Elégie. Adagio (From Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Op. 29, Act I Scene 3) [Arr. for Wind Ensemble by Nicolas Ramez] 04:49
Total Runtime 58:34

It is not a very conventional idea to think of Shostakovich as cozy. The Ouranos ensemble not only thinks so, they even play it that way. The outstanding French wind quintet proves this on its latest album, Constellations, complemented by works by Ravel and Barber.

The quintet from Paris opens up almost an hour of surprising soundscapes with its selection of pieces. The link between the works of the three composers – the Frenchman Maurice Ravel, the Russian Dmitri Shostakovich, and the American Samuel Barber – is their character as homage: Ravel wrote Le tombeau de Couperin, M. 68 in honor of his friends who died in the war, and Shostakovich wrote his String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110 for the victims of World War II – the wind arrangement is by David Walter. Barber's Summer Music, Op. 31 is lighter fare, simply paying homage to summer.

The Ouranos ensemble was founded by clarinetist Amaury Viduvier when he invited four of his fellow students from the Paris Conservatory to form a quintet in 2014. And it quickly caught on: Viduvier. Bassoonist Rafael Angster, oboist Philibert Perrine, horn player Nicolas Ramez, and the only woman in the group, flutist Mathilde Calderin, have already won a number of prestigious awards for their interpretations. And now Constallations is also worthy of an award.

The main appeal of this recording is its enduring sensitivity and deep soul. The music has time to breathe, floating between calm and momentum, full of character and expression. It is high art what the five young French musicians create from the black and white of the sheet music: life and deep emotion. Whether it is the dancing Allegro Molto, the second movement of Shostakovich's String Quintet, which seems almost cheerful and playful, or the third movement of Summer Music, Liveley, still faster, which makes the effort under the glistening heat palpable, or the subtle mourning ribbon that runs through the four movements of Ravel's Le tombeau de Couperin – the Ouranos ensemble gives each note the power, heaviness, tragedy, lightness, delicacy, or joy it needs to convey its message credibly and tangibly.

The excellently mixed recording underscores the class with which they do this. The clarinet is gentle, the horn warm, the oboe and bassoon delicate, the flute fresh, everything carefully placed so that each can be heard individually without diluting the substance and density of the sound structure – it is the density of a chamber music ensemble in which the Ouranos ensemble sits opposite you in the listening room and plays.

With Constellations, Alpha Classics once again has an outstanding album in its catalog that does justice to the class of the musicians in every respect. A beautiful recording. (Thomas Semmler, HighResMac)

Ensemble Ouranos