“From my early days as a student at the Peabody Conservatory, I sensed there was untapped potential in the wind quintet,” says composer Robert Martin, who has written ten wind quintets. This recording, titled Four Wind Quintets Volume II, features Wind Quintets Nos. 1, 2, 6, and 9 presented in reverse chronological order. These quintets complement Nos. 4, 5, 7, and 10, which were included in the first volume of Martin's Quintets, released in 2018.
Is there a common theme among the works on this CD? One notable similarity is the vividness of the composer’s “voice” throughout. His approach to pitch language is distinctly twentieth-century, featuring post–World War II pan chromaticism in Quintets 1 and 2, a blend of diatonic modes and free chromaticism in Quintet 6, and the application of pure diatonic modes in Quintet 9—though these are used in a serialist manner reminiscent of the earlier quintets.
One of the many aspects we can appreciate here is that Mr. Martin's imagination knows no bounds when it comes to pitch organization. He takes an adventurous approach in applying different pitch systems and tonalities, offering us a diverse array of moods and textures with each quintet.
The composer's grasp of the wind quintet is exceptional. Each instrument exhibits unique tonal qualities that vary based on the tessitura, or the range of high and low notes. Additionally, the composer achieves a distinct and varied emotional impact in each piece while maintaining the listener's interest throughout the duration of the work. This level of expertise is characteristic of the finest modern classical compositions.