Whether writing under his own name or that of his alter ego PDQ Bach, Peter Schickele writes music which is a constant delight, full of variety, energy and fun.

A Year in the Catskills is a five-movement quintet – a seasonal retrospective suffused with clever baroque tints, elements of pastoral fantasy, and a jazzy finale to dissipate any feelings of melancholy. The other works offer a variety of combinations and textures. Gardens illustrates Schickele’s appealing use of colour, whilst Dream Dances is a jaunty frolic from the baroque sarabande to the jitterbug. Diversions goes one better, with movements devoted both to billiards and a New York bar; music of huge vitality and great wit.

Peter Schickele is one of America’s most engaging and enjoyable composers. That said, most of his works in the catalogue are under the name of his baroque alter ego, PDQ Bach. There is the occasional compilation disc, with a single Schickele work, but there are very few of these. This Naxos disc, in fact, is the only single-composer Schickele disc currently on the market, and is full of variety, charm and entertainment value.

The Blair Woodwind Quintet, founded in 1971, is the faculty quintet at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. The ensemble has an extensive repertoire, and performs live concerts nationally as well as on radio and television.