5.0 out of 5 stars
The oboe quintet by three generations of Brits, October 8, 2007
This review is from: English Music for Oboe and Strings (Audio CD)
The oboe quintet occupies one of the odd little nooks of chamber music, but when Arnold Bax created a jewel, he inspired two notable British successors to attempt the same. Oboist Pamela Pecha Woods and the Audubon Quartet translate these very different cousins into three splendid performances.
Soloist Woods dazzles with a pure tone and quiet virtuosity. Her tone blends seemlessly with the strings, as do her perfect intonation and articulation. The strings navigate the different styles of these three works with intelligence and a lovely but ever-adapting sound: The three composers never give the strings a chance to coast into accompaniment mode, and every moment is a challenge met superbly by the five musicians.
I own a different release of the same recording, with the soloist credited as Pamela Woods rather than Pamela Pecha. Under either name, or as Pamela Pecha Woods, she is hard to find. Once assistant principal in Cleveland and later with the San Antonio Symphony, she has apparently moved to the background, so that Google reveals her name on public radio playlists but hardly anywhere else. I hope she's still enjoying the music wherever she may be.
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