Mozart and Well Beyond

I recently ordered Mozart and Well Beyond from CD Baby.

There are a lot of classical discs out there spanning the entire continuum of bad to great, but much of the time you either get a greatest hits compilation or the insert-generic-orchestra-here plays insert-popular-symphony here.

This CD is splendid on several levels.

First, Sweeney is obviously a passionate devotee of his craft. His playing is rich and nuanced and really brings the emotions of his selected pieces to the fore.

Second, Sweeney really did his listeners a service by including some modern compositions along with his beautifully rendered Mozart piece.

Third, it's lovely to see a CD where the focus is on the bassoon; the bassoon has an unmistakable sound, but it's not very often the central instrument.

I would highly recommend this CD to two kinds of people: the first is the classical devotee looking for something different (bassoon Mozart); the second would be those who want to expand their listening experience beyond what is traditionally available (Sharman, Mozetich, Welsh).