REVIEWS FOR FERENC FARKAS: MUSIC FOR WIND ENSEMBLE

Dan Morgan :

‘RECORDING OF THE MONTHMartin Anderson’s Toccata Classics is the musical equivalent of a specialist book shop whose shelves are lined with rare but rewarding titles. … [Early Hungarian Dances from the 17th Century :] And what a splendid quintet of dances they are… Even at this early stage it’s clear there’s a pleasing balance and blend to the playing – not a given with such groups, professional or otherwise. As for Marosi he’s firm, but not overly so, and that makes for buoyant, highly engaging performances. … Intrada, Passacaglia, Saltarello and Musica per Ottoni, the latter a Hungarian Radio commission, date from 1982. Supremely well crafted, they show Farkas very much at one with his material and the instruments required to play it. There’s glorious weight and some delicacy in the first piece, in which the unanimity and character of this band really shine through. … And on the premise that it’s always best to leave one’s audience wanting more the infectious Csínom Palkó (Mischievous Tune) is the best sign-off imaginable. The playing is both happy and heartfelt, and Marosi keeps it moving along so well. It’s a feel-good piece which, like all the others in this collection, gets the strongest possible advocacy from all concerned. And that’s just how it should be done. Toccata really do have the magic touch when it comes to less-familiar repertoire; huzzahs all round!”

—Dan Morgan, MusicWeb International

MusicWeb International :

‘The ensembles drawn from the Budapest Wind Symphony vary from chamber ones to the full size one. There is nothing pretentious in this album. Much is based on old dance forms, much is lively, optimistic, uncomplicated, and all of it is worth a listen. It helps that the booklet is customarily excellent, the recording quality good and that László Marosi is such a buoyant interpreter.’

—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International