Françaix: Chamber Music for Winds

This disc commemorates the centenary of Jean Françaix, (1912-1997), and celebrates his music, written with the stated aim to ‘give pleasure’. Françaix wrote his first chamber work for winds, the Quartet, in 1933 at the age of 21, and completed his Quintet No.2 more than 50 years later – with a remarkably consistent style marked by lightness and wit. The highly regarded Bergen Woodwind Quintet, consisting of solo players from the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, here performs four chamber works for winds. The versatile ensemble released its first disc on BIS in 1985, and has recorded chamber music by Carl Nielsen as well as by David Maslanka, to critical acclaim.