Good recordings of Mozart's K314 are not in short supply, so the interest here focuses on Krommer. Franz Krommer, or Frantisek Kramar (1759–1831), a Czech, was a prolific composer, highly regarded in Vienna (where he spent his mature years) but later hidden by the shadows of his many illustrious contemporaries, whose genius he did not share. Strangely, it is his concertos for wind instruments (none of which he played) that have best stood the test of time, amongst them his two for the oboe. His material is simple but often charming, as for instance the little rising chromatic element that first appears at 2'40'' in the first movement of the C major Concerto, and the subsequent extended use of repeated auxiliary notes (one way of standing still!) shows his capacity for making something out of very little. A goodly supply of 'vocal' tunes suggests that he might have made a good composer of light opera, but he never wrote one of any kind.
Sarah Francis plays this oboe-friendly music (as also Mozart's) with the utmost grace, control and a tone that is neither tart nor over-sweet; she is equally the mistress of both the liquid line and the cheerfully chirping sally, and I would be surprised if she were not delighted with the attentive support she has from the LMP—and with the bright and well-balanced recording; if you are not looking for heart-stopping musical emotion, you too may be very happy with the elegant pleasure it can give.'