AMILCARE PONCHIELLI (1834-1886): Quartetto for Flute, Oboe, E Flat Clarinet, Clarinet and Piano, Capriccio for Oboe and Piano, Il Convegno for 2 Clarinets and Piano, Danza delle Ore from La Gioconda for Wind Nonet (arr. Andreas Tarkmann), Paolo e Virginia for Clarinet, Violin and Piano.

Description: Not surprisingly for an opera composer, Il Convegno and Paolo e Virginia play like operatic scenas and the Capriccio has the same recitative-aria type feel. Really unusual is the presence of two different key clarinets in the Quartetto (which has, as you can count, five instruments) which make for a striking sound blend in a 14-minute divertimento-type piece which ends in a set of variations. The well-known Dance of the Hours was transcribed for wind ensemble just for this recording. Ensemble Villa Musica.