The dry wit, eccentric charm, and tonal loveliness of any of
Carl Nielsen's works for woodwind chamber ensembles would be hard to resist. Here, the English
Athena Ensemble brings a piquant tone but a smooth blend, a posed sense of balance, and a buoyant feeling for rhythm to bear that captures the odd delights of these works to perfection. Recorded in colorful early digital sound, this recording should be heard by anyone who knows and loves the composer's symphonies and tone poems and is ready to try branching out.