Beethoven / Osborne Bagatelles CD

Among Schumann's inspired late chamber works is a collection of music for more unusual instruments, composed in a concentrated flurry of creativity between 1849 and 1853 and written specifically for particular players, and it is to these exquisite short works that the world-famous Nash Ensemble turns it's impeccable collective musicianship. While Schumann modeled his music specifically to the timbres of the instruments he wrote for - piano, violin, horn, clarinet and oboe - he also arranged these pieces for alternative instruments with an eye to maximizing sales. Here, however, the soloists from the Nash Ensemble present the works in their original scoring in what are bound to be definitive performances - the delicious Fantasiestucke for clarinet, and the fiery and lyrical Merchenbilder, which features star British viola player Lawrence Power. Other delights include the Adagio and Allegro for horn, a brilliant showpiece, the first Violin Sonata, the Drei Romanzen for oboe and piano and the Merchenerzehlungen for clarinet, viola and piano.

1. No. 1 in E Flat Major : Andante Grazioso, Quasi Allegretto (Seven Bagatelles Op. 33) 2. No. 2 in C Major: Scherzo: Allegro-Trio 3. No. 3 in F Major: Allegretto 4. No. 4 in a Major: Andante 5. No. 5 in C Major: Allegro Ma Non Troppo 6. No. 6 in D Major: Allegretto Quasi Andante 7. No. 7 in a Flat Major 8. No. 1 in G minor: Allegretto (Eleven Bagatelles Op. 119) 9. No.. 2 in C Major: Andante Con Moto 10. No. 3 in D Major: A L'allemande 11. No. 4 in a Major: Andante Cantabile 12. No. 5 in C minor: Risoluto 13. No. 6 in G Major: Andante- Allegretto 14. No. 7 in C Major: Allegro Ma Non Troppo 15. No. 8 in C Major: Moderato Cantabile 16. No. 9 in a Minor: Vivace Moderato 17. No. 10 in a Major: Allegramente 18. No. 11 in B Flat Major: Andante Ma Non Troppo 19. No. 1 in G Major: Andante Con Moto (Six Bagatelles Op 126) 20. No. 2 in G minor: Allegro 21. No. 3 in E Flat Major: Andante 22. No. 4 in B minor : Presto 23. No. 5 in G Major: Quasi Allegretto 24. No. 6 in E Flat Major: Presto-Andante Amabile E Con Moto-Tempo I 25. Allegretto Quasi Andante in G minor 26. Bagatelle in C Major 27. Bagatelle in C minor 28. Bagatelle in B Flat Major 29. Allegretoo in B minor 30. Klavierstuck in a Minor 'Fur Elise'