Zelenka & Pisendel: Oboe Concerti / Goltz
Zelenka'sHipocondriesounds mysteriously like a Baroque tango,  and it's one of the more fascinating orchestral works in a small but highly  distinguished output. Almost alone among Baroque composers, Zelenka had a  harmonic flexibility and genuine tunefulness that really sets him apart. Some of  his unique sense of color came from his Czech heritage--you can hear the folk  influence in both Zelenka's harmony and in the syncopated rhythmic character  deriving from ethnic dance music. If you compare Zelenka's to Pisendel's  expertly crafted but much more faceless efforts, the differences become  strikingly clear. These performances are very well played on "authentic"  instruments, and the entire program is a delight.--David Hurwitz