The eleven musicians of Consortium Classicum offer us in 4 CDs the grand works for wind instruments by Ludwig van Beethoven, but also some arrangements and other surprises.
A lovely gift…

Volume 1

• Septet opus 20 (arrangement with contrabass by Georg Druschetzky of 1812);

• Allegro and minuet for two flutes WoO 26 in G major;

• Duo no. 1 for clarinet and bassoon WoO 27 in C major.
  

Volume 2 :

• Fidelio (10 extracts from the arrangement of Wenzel Sedlack of 1814 for two oboes, two clarinets, 2 horns, 2 bassoons and a contrabass);

• Variations on "La ci darem la mano" of Mozart, WoO 28;

• Duo no. 2 for clarinet and bassoon in F major, WoO 27.
  

Volume 3 :

• Octet for winds in E flat major, opus 103;

• Trio in C major for two oboes and one English Horn, opus 87;

• Rondino in E flat major for wind octet, WoO 25.
  

Volume 4 :

• Wind Sextet in E flat major, opus 71;

• March of the Grenadiers in B flat major for two clarinets and bassoon, WoO 27;

• Duo no. 3 in B flat major for clarinet and bassoon, WoO 27;

• Quintet in E flat major for oboe, three horns and bassoon, Hess 19.
  

For hearing the complete works for instruments, the Beethoven Edition is still the most complete source:

• Octet opus 103;
• Rondo for octet ("Rondino"), WoO 25;
• Trio for 2 oboes and cor anglais, Op. 87;
• Variations for 2 oboes ad cor anglais after Mozart's "La ci darem", WoO 28;
• Sextet for 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons, Op. 71;
• 3 Equali for 4 trombones, WoO 30;
• Polonaise, WoO 21;
• Ecossaise, WoO 22;
• Marches: WoO 18 (Für die Böhmische Landwehr"), WoO 19, WoO 20, WoO 24, WoO 29.

The Netherlands Wind Ensemble accompanied by Peter Donohoe on piano, present to us three works of Ludwig van Beethoven for wind instruments, or adaptations:

• The Octet opus 103, for 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons;

• The Quintet opus 16, for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon;

• The Seventh Symphony, in an adaptation by the Netherlands Wind Ensemble…

Here are two major works of Beethoven in the versions for wind instruments, performed by 'Les Vents de Montreal' and directed by André Moisan:

• Seventh Symphony, in a version probably approved by Beethoven in 1816;

• Septet Opus 20, arranged by Jiri Druzecky and Antonin Myslik for wind nonet.

The CD, resolutely modern, and at times dissonant, contains the following arrangements for saxophone quintet:

• Overture to Coriolan, opus 62;

• The variations on "Rule Britannia", WoO79;

• The fifth symphony, opus 67;

• Ode to Joy, extracted from the ninth symphony, opus 125.

The Österreichische Kammerharmonie, directed by Heinz Prammer, presents to us some adaptations of works by Beethoven for a Harmonie of wind instruments:

• Pathetique Sonata, Opus 3;

• Rondino, WoO 25;

• Septet, opus 20…

The Pathetique is certainly the most successful adaptation.