‘My entire relation to music is such that I always try to go to the limits’ - Heinz Holliger

The artistry of Heinz Holliger (b1939) prompted Evelyn Rothwell (Lady Barbirolli) to call him ‘The Paganini of the oboe’. Holliger's mastery of the oboe ranges over a vast expanse of repertoire, from the baroque to contemporary – Bach to Berio and Zelenka to Zimmermann. His style is notable for its flexibility, agility, integrity and ability to communicate convincingly across the wide range of repertoire he performs. Holliger has done much to champion the oboe music of composers such as Zelenka and Krommer, and has also had over 100 works composed for him by composers including Berio, Carter, Henze, Ligeti, Lutoslawski, Penderecki and Stockhausen.

This 10 CD collection provides a superb showcase for his artistry, spanning nearly 250 years of repertoire from the well known to the obscure. In every one of the works here, his unique and phenomenal technique makes the interpretation sound effortless and flawless.

The box set includes extensive booklet notes on each work, and a biographical essay on Holliger.

‘This is an enchanting performance: I do not believe that among modern recordings there is a better’ - Gramophone, November 1985 (Mozart: Oboe Quartet)

‘All three pieces have the advantage of superlative performances by Holliger and the ECO. As in the case of Fiala, not just an oboe-player: Holliger also contributes cadenzas where called for that are exactly right for their purpose. A good quality of recording’ - Gramophone October 1985 (Fiala, Hummel etc)

Contents:
CD 1 [58’54]
Antonio Vivaldi
Oboe Concertos RV 452, 454, 545, 446, 463, & 447

CD 2 [46’11]
Georg Philipp Telemann
Oboe Concertos

CD 3 [48’24]
Tomaso Albinoni
Oboe Concertos Op.7 Nos 1–8

CD 4 [45’36]
Tomaso Albinoni
- Oboe Concertos Op.7 Nos 9–12
- Sonatas Op.2 Nos 5 & 6

CD 5 [69’21]
Tomaso Albinoni
Oboe Concertos Op.9

CD 6 [49’15]
Haydn · Donizetti · Benjamin/Cimarosa
Oboe Concertos

CD 7 [50’48]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Oboe Quartet· Adagio K580a
Divertimento K251

CD 8 [48’25]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sinfonia concertante K297b
Oboe Concerto

CD 9 [76’17]
Bellini · Molique · Moscheles · Rietz · Fiala · Hummel
Oboe Concertos

CD 10 [64’21]
Martin · Honegger
Chamber Music

Bohuslav Martinu
Oboe Concerto