Customer Reviews

John Mack, Oboe Mozart: Quartet, K.370/Loeffler: Deux Rhapsodies/Paladilhe: Solo De Concert/Britten: Six Metamorphoses

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

John Mack is, needless to say, an amazing musician and a brilliant oboe player, and this disc is an excellent representation of his art. I especially love the Loeffler trio, which I think is such a beautiful piece, and here we get to enjoy the combination of Mack's gorgeous sound with the luscious warmth of the viola in ways I wish more romantic composers had explored! An unusual collection of music but well worth a listen (or two, or seven...)!

John Mack has always been one of the best to play the oboe, and on this CD he is no exception. A fun and lively Mozart Quartet, gorgeous Loeffler Rhapsodies, and a rich recording of the Britten. I am never disappointed by Mack's performances...he consistently has a beautiful sound with such smooth phrasing. He is truly a 5 star musician.

All of John Mack's performances on this disc are wonderful, but the Loeffler is an amazing work that is well worth hearing. I've also had the pleasure of playing this piece and wish we could hear moe of this composers work.

I have always been a great fan of the oboe. So more than anything, I was looking for a CD that would faithfully reproduce the sound of the instrument. While John Mack is clearly a virtuoso, and the musical selections are beautiful, the recording is not up to par.

There is a tremendous amount of surface noise from the original tape machine (or perhaps a turntable if this was transferred from vinyl). In addition, there is an intermittent flapping noise that seems to be an exaggeration of the sound of keys being quickly pressed and released. But it's the surface noise that spoils it for me.

Sure, John Mack was a wonderful oboist, but he is competing here with tape hiss, and it sounds as if he was playing about a mile away from the microphone. Definitely worth buying for some unique pieces, such as the Loeffler. But I have many CDs, more recently recorded, of other oboe greats such as Alex Klein and Nancy Ambrose King, which sound much better.