Conducts Mozart

On this CD:

1. Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 Overture
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by British Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Bruno Walter

2. Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by BBC Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Bruno Walter

3. Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Berlin State Choir
Conducted by Bruno Walter

4. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620 Overture
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Paris Mozart Festival Orchestra
Conducted by Bruno Walter

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding .......2007-03-23

These performances are taken from the time when George Szell was the conductor of the Cleveland Symphony. They are magnificent performances, and the transfer to CD makes them sound better than the original LP in many cases.

I am absolutely loving to listen to these wonderful performances.

Szell's Moazrt.......2007-03-14

No one has conducted MOzart the way Szell did. And this album has some of his best recordings with the Cleveland Orchestra. Not to be missed!

No Chocolate Sauce..........2006-12-10

"There is a difference between the chaste sensuality of Mozart or Haydn and the lascivious sensuality of Richard Strauss. One cannot pour chocolate sauce over asparagus." George Szell

Sony's Original Jackets series continues with this release of the music of Mozart featuring (with a few exceptions) conductor and pianist George Szell. This is the second Original Jackets issue dedicated to Szell. The other, featuring Beethoven's Symphonies is also highly recommended. Sony has changed the format somewhat. Whereas the series initially rigidly adhered to the original LP programming, most of the CDs here are generously filled with bonus tracks. So much the better.

It must have taken some arm twisting on Szell's part to get Symphonies K. 200 and K. 319 recorded, as neither were repertoire staples in the 1960s (they still appear relatively rarely). Kudos to both Szell and Columbia for undertaking the project. Many of the other works here have been issued multiple times.

As with nearly everything else they recorded, the Szell/Cleveland combination brings forth performances of common sensibility and uncommon balance. The tempos and phrasing for each work and movement seem inevitable, and the performances are stripped of all phony Gemutlikeit. The various choirs of the orchestra are balanced with chamber-like precision, so that each voice is heard in proper perspective. This is even evident in the monaural recordings of three of the Symphonies, which are a tad more flexible than their stereo counterparts.

Szell, a co-pupil of Rudolf Serkin, was also a fine pianist. Szell's arrangement of Richard Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel (featuring sound effects from his cuff-links) is legendary. Both the Violin Sonatas and Piano Quartets show Szell as a sympathetic collaborator who was comfortable with ceding the spotlight to his partners. Szell was also an excellent collaborator in Concertos, as the Clarinet Concerto K. 622 with Robert Marcellus and the Piano Concerto K. 503 with Leon Fleischer demonstrate. Unlike, say, Toscanini, Szell did not feel the need to steamroll a soloist into complying with his own conception of a piece.

A few of the items here do not feature Szell as either pianist or conductor. The Leinsdorf conducted performance of the Minuet K. 409 - - charming, fluid, and transparent - - belies the notion that the Cleveland Orchestra was a second rate band until Szell came along. Likewise, Louis Lane, who was solidly in the Szell tradition of conducting, leads a superb performance of the Divertimento, K. 334. There are many in Cleveland, including myself, who feel Lane would have been a more appropriate successor to Szell than the eccentric Lorin Maazel.

The sound in the stereo items, recorded at Severance Hall, is greatly improved over previous issues. The location for the mono items is not documented, but to my ears it sounds like they were recorded at nearby Masonic Auditorium. The mono sonics are acceptable, if a bit boomy. Dynamics, which were constricted, have been opened up. The strings have lost their aggressive edge and have a sweeter, more natural character. It's well worth replacing the earlier issues of these recordings, and a must if you don't have them already.

A famous Mozart conductor gets his due -- in spades.......2006-12-09

NOTE; Please ignore the large number of negative reviews here. They are from an anonymous Internet stalker.

At the height of his fame, George Szell was often praised by critics as the perfect Mozart conductor, a reputation that seems puzzling today. Today we get to hear many approaches to Mozart besides the kind exemplified here, which is fast, clipped, ultra-precise, and humorless. Shorn of elegance and reduced to a display of incredibly precise ensemble, Szell's Mozart can hardly be understood without realizing how dominant Toscanini was in the Forties and Fifties, when Szell rode in on his stylistic coattails. Strict disciplinarians make pretty sour concerts unless they possess Toscnini's genius, and Szell had at least that portion that could dazzle with virtuosity.

Given my opinion, why wuold I rate this big box set, which contains almost everything by Mozart that Szell ever recorded (or evverything Sony has decided to pluck from their Columbia and Epic archives)? Well, the music-making is dazzling, it must be admitted. Since Amazon doesn't give the contents of these 10 discs, I will copy the listing from the Crotchet, the British online store:

Symphony No.28 in C K200. Marriage of Figaro K492 : Overture. Symphony No.33 in B flat K319. Symphony No.35 in D K385 'Haffner'. Symphony No.39 in E flat K543. Symphony No.40 in G minor K550. Symphony No.41 in C K551 'Jupiter'. The Impresario K486 : Overture. Divertimento No.2 in D K131. Symphony No.41 in C K551 'Jupiter'. Sinfonia Concertante in E flat K364. Exsultate Jubilate K165. Serenade No.13 in G K525 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik'. Serenade No.9 in D K320 'Posthorn'. Divertimento No.17 in D K334. Lacrimosa. Minuet in C K409. Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A K622. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.25 in C K503. Sonata for Piano and Violin No.24 in F K376. Sonata for Piano and Violin No.18 in G K301. Sonata for Piano and Violin No.21 in E minor K304. Sonata for Piano and Violin No.17 in C K296. Quartet for Keyboard Violin Viola and Cello in G minor K478. Quartet for Keyboard Violin Viola and Cello in E flat K493.

Sym. 39-41 are duplicated in mono and stereo (rather pointlessly since the performances are identical in every respect). Szell himself appears as pianist in the violini sonatas (with Cleveland Orch. concertmaster, Rafael Druian) and the piano quartet (in mono with members of the Budapest Qt.) Fleisher is the sazzling soloist in piano concerto (the concertos with Rudolf Serkin aren't included). The clarinet concerto is done by the orchestra's first char, Robert Marcellus. Druain reappears with the first-chair viola, Abraham Skemick for a dry-as-dust reading of the lovely E-flat Sinfonia Concertante. Judith Raskin is the superb soprano in Exultate Jubilate. To make matters confusing, the conductor of the Divertimento K. 334 isn't Szell at all but his assitant in Cleveland, Louis Lane, hwo does a reasonable job.

I don't know who wants this much of Szell's Mozart, but if I had to choose one cherishable recording, it would be the Posthorn Serenade, in which we get the usual precision but also a measure of charm and relaxation.

Rafael Kubelik conducts Dvorák, Smetana, Mussorgsky, Bartók, Hindemith, Schoenberg

Average customer rating:

The Mussorgsky is a Delight
A nice collection of performances, but mixed sonics from 50 years ago
Kubelik's Classic MLP Recordings Are Back!

Rafael Kubelik conducts Dvorák, Smetana, Mussorgsky, Bartók, Hindemith, Schoenberg

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Antal Dorati Conducts
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Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 1-6
Bartok: Orchestral Works; Bluebeard's Castle
Paul Paray Conducts French Orchestral Music

ASIN: B000A5DLPQ
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

I. Adagio-Allegro
II. Andante
III. Presto
I. Adagio-Allegro Molto
II. Largo
III. Scherzo: Molto Vivace
IV. Allegro Con Fuoco

Tracks:

The High Castle
The Moldau
Sarka
From Bohemia's Meadows And Forests
Tabor
Blanik

Tracks:

Promenade
Gnomus
Promenade
Il Vecchio Castello
Promenade
Tuileries
Bydlo
Promenade
Ballet Des Poussins Dans Leurs Coques
Samuel Goldenberg Und Schmuyle
Limoges-Le Marche
Catacombae (Sepulchrum Romanum)
Cum Mortuis In Lingua Mortua
La Cabane Sur Des Pattes De Poule
La Grande Porte De Kiev
I. Andante Tranquillo - Irwin Fischer
II. Allegro - Irwin Fischer
III. Adagio - Irwin Fischer
IV. Allegro Molto - Irwin Fischer

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Turandot: Scherzo
III. Andantino
IV. Marsch
I. Premonitions
II. Yesteryears
III. Summer Morning By A Lake
IV. Peripetia
V. The Obbligato Recitative
Variations On A Hungarian Folksong 'The Peacock' - Antal Dorati
Suite From 'The Miraculous Mandarin' - Antal Dorati

Customer Reviews:

The Mussorgsky is a Delight .......2006-10-26

I am not an "audio expert", but I do know what I like. And I love this CD. I heard this recording of Mussorgksy's "Pictures From an Exhibition" on an NPR program from The Chicago Symphony. I was very taken with the clarity of sound. I searched for the recording through Amazon and I am absolutely delighted. It is a four dsic set, but I haven't gone on to the other recordings (yet) becasue I keep re-playing this lovely piece. I hope you enjoy it.

A nice collection of performances, but mixed sonics from 50 years ago.......2006-06-01

Audiophiles adore the Mercury Living Presence series issued throughout the early Fifties and Sixties, but for those of us who aren't specialty collectors, it's pretty clear that not evreything on MLP is a gem. This valuable colleciton (mono only) from the doomed tenure of Rafael Kubelik with the Chicago Sym.--he lasted only a few years before the local critic's stinging rebukes sent Kubelik packing in favor of Fritz Reiner--deserves detailed appraisal.

CD 1: Kubelik was a lively, stylish Mozartean, and this 1953 Sym. #38 is quite lovely. It's more streamlined than Walter's recordings of the "Prague," but cut form the same affectionate cloth. The recording, however, is thin and shrill. I found it uncomfortable to listen to except at low volume.

Kubelik recorded Dvorak's "New World" musltiple times; this Chicago reading dates from 1951 and is caught in sharp mono sonics with a bit too much stinging treble for my ears. Even so, there are those who think this lively, rather lean performance is one of Kubelik's best. I'm not sure that it's so special that one should do without stereo, but the choice is personal. The CSO plays superbly, and the general contour of the interpretation is straightforward.

CD 2 is entirely given over to Smetana's Ma Vlast, another Kubelik specialty that he recorded multiple times. This 1952 recording sounds identical to the Dvorak on CD 1--a deep soundstage with lots of dynamic range. The interpretation is essentially moderate and unexaggerated. It's certainly stylish and has real sweep, too. In terms of dramatic impact CD 2 is far ahead of CD 1.

CD 3: Curiously, there are audiophile purists who insist that the Golden Age of 50's mono produced better sound than any current digital recording. If that's a viable position (few outside the cult agree), the works on this CD are prime evidence. Kubelik's Pictures at an Exhibition and Bartok Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta were recorded in the spring of 1951. They are vivid and colorful, with tangy wind choirs and plenty of dynamic impact. Kubelik proves a restless, almost nervous interpreter of the Mussorgsky, which refreshes this warhose. Neither the recording nor the CSO's playing really matches the later, legendary RCA performance under Reiner, but Kubelik's reading has more sinew and rhythmic spring to it. He brings the same qualities to the Bartok, which gets a wiry "modernist" interpretation that's very appealing, less offical-sounding than the famous Reiner account.

CD 4: At the start of this CD we are back to the thin sound of CD 1 (both were recorded in 1953 with the same Telefunken 201 micropone). For some reason, however, this disc can be played at louder volume without treble sting. Kubelik's Hindemith Symphonic Meatmorphoses is lean and propulsive. This is a refreshing take, but without gorgeous stereo sound the coloristic aspects of this showpiece can't be fully apreciated.

Being too much of a modernist was a prime factor in getting Kubelik fired, which is all the more unfair because his Schoenberg Five Pieces for Orchestra is a standout, almost the performance of a lifetime. I hope somebody in the conservative Chicago audience appreciated how seductive and witty this performance was; if Schoenerg's masterpiece has ever sounded more like Daphnis and Chloe, I don't know when.

The last two works were recorded in 1954, at the tail end of Kubelik's stay, and the sound remains a bit shrieky. But his itnerpretations of Kodaly's Peacock Variations and Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin Suite are excellent, full of energy and fierceness in the Bartok, making it as scary as the composer intended. Playing the shrill mono recording at full volume is impossibly masochistic on the ears, but the reading is terrific.

Chicago was lucky--they exchanged a near-great conductor for a great one. Mercury, however, lost the best conductor it would ever have, moving on to Dorati and Paray and even more audiophile cult delights.

Kubelik's Classic MLP Recordings Are Back!.......2005-09-14

Those familiar with my reviews on Amazon know of my great love for the Mercury Living Presence series. Equally great is my disgust that so many of these brilliant recordings have been deleted in the last few years! Thankfully, some of these legendary performances are resurfacing, and while the single disc titles are unfortunately listed at full-price, it is wonderful to see the various multi-disc sets basically being sold at budget line. With this 4CD reissue, Rafael Kubelik's legendary recordings with the Chicago Symphony are restored to the catalog, as only his 1952 rendition of Smetana's "Ma Vlast" was currently in print. (Please note that the performances of Kodaly's "Peacock Variations" and Bartok's "Miraculous Mandarin" Suite are with Antal Dorati leading the same orchestra.) To illustrate how prized these recordings are by collectors, the extremely rare original CD issue coupling the Moussorgsky/Ravel "Pictures at an Exhibition" with Bartok's "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta" has been known to fetch twice the price of this new set in the Amazon Marketplace! Buying this collection for the Pictures performance alone is worthwhile, as it was the recording that led a critic to coin the phrase "Living Presence," from which the Mercury named its series. Of course getting memorable accounts of Dvorak's 9th and Mozart's 38th Symphonies, Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis" and Schoenberg's Five Pieces, Op. 16 is just icing on the cake. Once again, Mercury Living Presence lives!

Average customer rating:

melodious marvels
Glowing and sublime

Perahia Plays and Conducts Mozart

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000026F6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Concerto No. 20 For Piano & Orchestra: I - Allegro
Concerto No. 20 For Piano & Orchestra: II - Romance
Concerto No. 20 For Piano & Orchestra: III - Rondo: (Allegro assai)
Concerto No. 27 For Piano & Orchestra: I - Allegro
Concerto No. 27 For Piano & Orchestra: II - Larghetto
Concerto No. 27 For Piano & Orchestra: III - Rondo: Allegro

Amazon.com

During the 1970s and '80s, Murray Perahia recorded all the Mozart piano concertos with the English Chamber Orchestra, conducting from the keyboard. His playing here is on the highest level--vibrant, unfailingly beautiful, wonderfully acute in its grasp of style and expression. Equally outstanding is the work of the ECO, which turns in an effortlessly brilliant performance of both scores. The recorded sound, while not quite as radiant as the music making, is consistently good and well balanced. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

melodious marvels.......2002-12-12

These two concertos are glorious, with melodies to sweep you off your feet and fall in love with them.
Concerto # 20 is powerful, and has an exquisite second movement "Romance". One of the two most frequently performed of Mozart's piano concertos (the other being # 21, with its "Elvira Madigan" slow movement), it is what the liner notes call "the most Beethovenian" of the concertos, pointing the way to 19th cent. music.
Mozart did not write any cadenzas for this piece, and Perahia plays one written by Beethoven in the opening Allegro, and dazzles us with one he composed himself in the third movement.

Concerto # 27 was completed in the year of Mozart's death, and despite his ill health and much sadness, wrote an intensely spiritual concerto, with an uplifiting, beautiful finale; of the two, I think this one might be my favorite.

Perahia's interpretations are masterful. With flawless technique and fluidity, there is a purity and simplicity to these performances, both as pianist and conductor of the excellent English Chamber Orchestra. Recorded in '77 and '79, the sound is good, liner notes minimal, and total time 61'32. A truly wonderful CD of two of the loveliest pieces ever written for the piano.

Glowing and sublime.......2001-03-13

Nos. 20 and 27 are two of the greatest five piano concerti ever written by Mozart, and both are given glowing, unsurpassable performances here by Murray Perahia and the ECO. Perahia is at his best in the melting slow movements, stamping the themes forever into your consciousness, but he is fine too in the allegros, technically perfect but emotional, never going over the top for the sake of virtuosity, letting the music speak for itself. Great rapport between soloist and orchestra throughout. You cannot possibly go wrong with Perahia here or in any of the other Mozart concerti.

Average customer rating:

A treasure!

Krips Conducts Mozart

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000OPPSXK
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Customer Reviews:

A treasure!.......2007-06-07

Finding these symphonies collected, remastered, and at value price- not to mention back in print- is truly exciting. Krips proves himself a energetic and thoughtful Mozartian, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra (especially the strings- what a lush and layered sound. Wow!) is nothing short of amazing. These symphonies were recorded over different sessions in '72 and '73, but the transfers are warm, vital, and really generously show the depth of this great orchestra. A friend turned me on to Krips' work just recently, and I must say that this set must share some space on the shelf with some of the greatest recorded Mozart symphonies I have heard. A treasure!

Average customer rating:

A truly outstanding Mozart compilation!

Yehudi Menuhin Conducts Mozart

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and DVDs 2005/06 Edition: The Key Classical Recordings on CD, DVD and SACD, 30th Anniversary Edition (Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and Dvds)

ASIN: B00002ZZ54
Release Date: 2007-05-31

Tracks:

Divert in D, KV 136: I. Allegro - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Divert in D, KV 136: II. Menuetto - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Divert in D, KV 136: III. Presto - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Ser in D, KV 239 'Ser Notturna': I. Marcia (Maestoso) - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Ser in D, KV 239 'Ser Notturna': II. Menuetto - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Ser in D, KV 239 'Ser Notturna': III. Rondo (Allegretto) - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Ser in D, KV 320 'Psthn': I. Adagio Maestoso - Allegro Con Spirito - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Ser in D, KV 320 'Psthn': II. Menuetto - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Ser in D, KV 320 'Psthn': III. Conc: Andante Grazioso - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Ser in D, KV 320 'Psthn': IV. Rondo: Allegro Ma Non Troppo - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Ser in D, KV 320 'Psthn': V. Andantino - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Ser in D, KV 320 'Psthn': VI. Menuetto - Crispian Steele-Perkins
Ser in D, KV 320 'Psthn': VII. Finale: Presto - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
2 Marches, KV 335: Marcia No.1 - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
2 Marches, KV 335: Marcia No.2 - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin

Tracks:

Sym No.35 in D, KV 385 'Haffner': I. Allegro Con Spirito - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.35 in D, KV 385 'Haffner': II. Andante - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.35 in D, KV 385 'Haffner': III. Menuetto - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.35 in D, KV 385 'Haffner': IV. Finale (Presto) - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.36 in C, KV 425 'Linz': I. Adagio - Allegro Spiritoso - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.36 in C, KV 425 'Linz': II. Poco Adagio - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.36 in C, KV 425 'Linz': III. Menuetto - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.36 in C, KV 425 'Linz': IV. Presto - CO De Lausanne/Yehudi Menuhin

Tracks:

Sym No.38 in D, KV 504 'Prague': I. Adagio - Allegro - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.38 in D, KV 504 'Prague': II. Andante - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.38 in D, KV 504 'Prague': III. Presto - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.39 in E flat, KV 543: I. Adagio - Allegro - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.39 in E flat, KV 543: II. Andante Con Moto - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.39 in E flat, KV 543: III. Menuetto - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.39 in E flat, KV 543: IV. Allegro - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin

Tracks:

Sym No.40 in g, KV 550: I. Molto Allegro - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.40 in g, KV 550: II. Andante - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.40 in g, KV 550: III. Menuetto - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.40 in g, KV 550: IV. Allegro Assai - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.41 in C, KV 551 'Jupiter': I. Allegro Vivace - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.41 in C, KV 551 'Jupiter': II. Andante Cantabile - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.41 in C, KV 551 'Jupiter': III. Menuetto - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin
Sym No.41 in C, KV 551 'Jupiter': IV. Allegro Molto - Sinf Varsovia/Yehudi Menuhin

Tracks:

Fl And Hp Con in C, KV 229: I. Allegro - Samuel Coles/Naoko Yoshino
Fl And Hp Con in C, KV 229: II. Andantino - Samuel Coles/Naoko Yoshino
Fl And Hp Con in C, KV 229: III. Rondo: Allegro - Samuel Coles/Naoko Yoshino
Fl Con No.1 in G, KV 313: I. Allegro Maestoso - Samuel Coles
Fl Con No.1 in G, KV 313: II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo - Samuel Coles
Fl Con No.1 in G, KV 313: III. Rondo - Minuetto - Samuel Coles
Fl Con No.2 in D, KV 314: I. Allegro Aperto - Samuel Coles
Fl Con No.2 in D, KV 314: II. Andante Ma Non Troppo - Samuel Coles
Fl Con No.2 in D, KV 314: III. Allegro - Samuel Coles

Customer Reviews:

A truly outstanding Mozart compilation!.......2005-02-04

The famous violinist Yehudi Menuhin proves himself a fine and sensitive Mozart conductor in this set. The recording quality is excellent, the performances graceful, flowing, and intelligent. This set received a very well-deserved rosette from the Penguin Guide -- if you're looking for a great recording of Mozart's late symphonies (with excellent renditions of the concertos and seranades as well), search no more.

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Mozart's 11th, 12th. and 14th Piano Concertos
Three Wonderful Concertos from Vienna

Perahia Plays & Conducts Mozart

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000026F8
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Concerto No. 11 For Piano & Orchestra, K. 413: I - Allegro
Concerto No. 11 For Piano & Orchestra, K. 413: II - Larghetto
Concerto No. 11 For Piano & Orchestra, K. 413: III - Tempo Di Menuetto
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Concerto No. 12 For Piano & Orchestra, K. 414: II - Andante
Concerto No. 12 For Piano & Orchestra, K. 414: III - Allegretto
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Concerto No. 14 For Piano & Orchestra, K. 449: III - Allegro ma non troppo

Customer Reviews:

Mozart's 11th, 12th. and 14th Piano Concertos.......2007-04-12

Perahia's is the best recording that I have heard of each of the 3 concertos, respectively.

Three Wonderful Concertos from Vienna.......2002-03-03

Mozart broke away from the shackles of his Salzburg life in May of 1781, and these 3 concertos were written shortly thereafter, especially No.11 in F, K.413 and No.12 in A, K.414. Murray Perahia captures the breakaway spirit of Mozart wonderfully in this fine release. K. 413 is quite impressive, filled with many delights. The slow movement of K.414 is based on a theme by his friend and mentor, Johann Christian Bach, who had passed on January 1, 1782. Both first and last movements are bright and lively. Concerto No.14 in E-flat, K.449, was written early in 1784. The success of The Abduction from the Seraglio seemed to inspire Mozart to new dramatic heights, as evidenced by the tension and dramatic changes in the opening movement especially. As always, Perahia and the English Chamber Orchestra provide distinguished accounts of these early Viennese masterpieces. This CD is warmly recommended.

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National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa with Pinchas Zukerman
A MOZART FEAST

Zukerman Conducts Mozart

Manufacturer: Cbc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000DFZY3
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Album Description

This new double CD release of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart features both the orchestral and chamber music prowess of Canada's NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE ORCHESTRA under the artistic direction PINCHAS ZUKERMAN. The Mozart is the latest release in a remarkable series on CBC Records, with this group that began with Vivaldi four years ago and followed thereafter with CDs featuring the music of Beethoven (2001) and then Schubert (2002). As was the case in all of these recordings, Zukerman conducts and plays.

Customer Reviews:

National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa with Pinchas Zukerman.......2005-09-26

This two-disc set contains Divertimento for Strings in D, K.136; Violin Concerto no. 5 in A, K.219; Symphony no. 29 in A, K.201; String Quintet in g minor, K.516; Clarinet Quintet in A, K.581.
On the chamber works, Mr. Zukerman plays first violin (and he is the soloist in K.219.) Other players in K.516 are: Jessica Linnebach, violin; Jethro Marks, viola; Donnie Deacon, viola; Amanda Forsyth, cello. The others in K.581 are: Kimball Sykes, clarinet; Donnie Deacon, violin; Jane Logan, viola; Amanda Forsyth, cello. Recorded on July 12, 2002 and July 10-12, 2003 in Southam Hall, National Arts Centre, Ottawa (Canada's capital city), this mid-priced set is worth every cent. The NACO players are excellent in both the orchestral and chamber works. In the latter, they are equal and astute partners with Mr. Zukerman, and this recording of the Clarinet Quintet is one of the finest I have heard (among many, it being my favorite Mozart work.)
Recommended without hesitation.

A MOZART FEAST.......2003-10-31

The first time I ever heard Pinchas Zukerman play it was in Mozart--as the spectacularly talented violist in the string trio, Divertimento in E Flat, K. 563; Itzhak Perlman was the violinist, Ronald Leonard (former principal of the LA Philharmonic) the cellist. And I've heard him play and conduct music of Mozart several times since. It has always seemed to me that he has a special feel for it.

This 2 CD set is devoted entirely to Mozart, with music from several different genres: a string orchestra divertimento, his earliest mature symphony, one of his violin concertos, the glorious G minor string quintet, and the clarinet quintet. It's hard to imagine a more lovely program than this: two-and-a-quarter hours of heavenly music played beautifully. For the last few years Zukerman has been the music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, and all the musicians in this set are his colleagues there. There is not a well-know (to me) name amongst them, but the musicianship demonstrated in these performances is of the highest level. Zukerman conducts, plays the violin solo in the concerto and the lead violin in the chamber pieces. I have to say that the last couple of times I'd heard him perform in person it seemed that he was more or less phoning in his performance. Not this time. His velvety tone, hair-trigger technique and subtle phrasing is present throughout. And he gets remarkable ensemble from his players, in both the orchestral and the chamber pieces.

A few words about some of the high points in this otherwise consistently high-level set: The initial statement and return of the rondo theme in the third movement of the Fifth Violin Concerto in A Major, K. 219, is meltingly played. The third movement allegro of the Divertimento in D Major, K. 136, displays real virtuosity in all of the strings, with dancing sprung rhythms; the fugal passages feature clarity and élan.

Many conductors present the Symphony No. 29 in A, K. 201, as if it were a bijou, a trifle. It certainly some of that quality about it, but it also represents the 18-year-old Mozart's first mature essay in the symphonic form and there are formal and harmonic features--as in the development of the first movement--that are as advanced and as serious as anything Mozart ever wrote. Zukerman's orchestra catches that quality. The second movement has one of Mozart's loveliest melodies, with an equally lovely countermelody riding above it in the high violins. The orchestra plays it sensuously, not hurrying it, allowing us to luxuriate in it. The symphony's fourth movement has always been one of my favorites in all of Mozart; there is vigor, excitement and rakish humor, almost Haydnesque. Zukerman apparently feels it that way, too. I approve.

The G Minor String Quintet, K. 516, is generally considered not only the finest of Mozart's quintets, but possibly the finest ever written. The instrumentalists--Zukerman and Jessica Linnebach, violins, Jethro Marks and Donnie Deacon, violas, and Amanda Forsyth, cello--play at the highest international level. I honestly cannot find anything to criticize. Hear how they put forth the drama of the first movement, emphasize the off-beat accents in the second so that we are kept off-balance (surely that's what Mozart wanted, no?), sing the third movement as if members of a world-class choir. The adagio first section of the fourth movement will tear your heart out; Zukerman sings the melancholy violin theme in such a sweetly hushed tone, over the soft sobbing of the other strings, that you don't want it to end--it almost makes time stand still. Any doubt Mozart that was a genius disappears here. And then follows the allegro in the sunniest G major; it takes a moment to shake off the melancholy of the adagio, but once the rhythm is firmly established, Mozart has makes us forget the melancholy and the whole thing comes to a rollicking end. Bravo.

The set comes to an end with the glorious Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581, the chamber companion to his later well-beloved clarinet concerto, both written for Mozart's favorite clarinetist, Anton Stadler; indeed this quintet is usually subtitled 'Stadler.' Kimball Sykes is the fine and sensitive clarinetist here; I don't think there is anything he can't do with his instrument. His legato is molten gold. Zukerman plays first violin; Deacon moves to the second violin stand, Jane Logan is the violist, and Forsyth is again the cellist. Again, the playing is world-class. What can one say about this piece? It is certainly one of my desert island works. I remember an episode of the TV show M*A*S*H where Major Charles Emerson Winchester tries to teach some rag-tag Chinese musicians the quintet. I can identify with that attempt. This is music one should not be away from for very long, even in a war-torn area. I must have ten recordings of the piece. This one is one of the best.

In summary, this is a 2 CD set that has not a single weak moment. It contains some of the most divine music ever written in performances that measure up to the best.

A very strong recommendation.

Tracks:

Overture: Cosi Fan Tutte/Symphony No.52 In G
Allegro Spiritoso
Andante - Allegro Spiritoso
Overture: King Lear
Polovtsian March (Prince Igor)
Overture: Les Francs Juges
Eugene Onegin: Polonaise
The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave)
Ruy Blas
Overture: Masaniello
Scherzo (From An Unfinished Symphony)

Customer Reviews:

Another lesson in conducting and orchestral playing.......2006-11-02

I know i'm probably biased because among conductors sir Adrian is my fave. This recently issued CD brings together a sample of his earlier material, that is, from his arguably unsurpassed BBC years. As one of the icons in British music he fully deserves the title of `great conductor of the 20th century'. Still, his repertoire extends well beyond the confines of music made by his countrymen and it should be known, for instance, that his Berlioz is every bit as good as his trademark renditions of Elgar.

*A short analysis of Boult vis-a-vis modern conducting techniques.*
Boult has been referred to as "a British Toscanini in more sanguine moments". A good point, though in my view Toscanini's fiery motions with the baton were perhaps more in the style of a Barbirolli (some say of Toscanini that "his movements were generally sharp, specific, and elegant"). I believe the term "the British Weingartner" could be, perhaps, more to the point; no one will argue, however, that Boult possessed his distinctly individual, fully-ripened `style'. In general, Boult's kind of restraint or reserve is merely apparent in the resulting musical program, though obviously it's imprinted with--if i can call it like that--a `sonic signature' of his own. His composure and his subtle hand motions had a sort of dignified manner. He personified Englishness. He looked kind of elegant in his black suit: A tall man, typically not moving that much and sometimes slightly leaning ahead--like curving himself in a humble manner--with his left hand waving gently through an imposing sense of control. "Almost all the conductors of the past stood absolutely still," said Adrian Boult, who was old enough to have seen Hans Richter conduct. The emblematic Arturo Toscanini conveyed expression "partly through the tautness of his body and the intensity of the gaze he directed at the musicians". In his economic gestures Boult himself certainly was closer to a Reiner than to a Bernstein. Interestingly, some people say Leif Segerstam's expansive baton technique is quite similar to Sir Adrian Boult's in its clarity and economy. Boult inherited his `style' from legendary conductors such as Richter, Wood or Nikisch. The author Keith Hansen in his tribute to Elgar wrote that "the great German conductor Hans Richter was a great influence on Boult, and from Richter he learned to convey a broad, spanning architectural sense of a piece. When Boult is finished, you always feel you understand what the piece is about." His technique was quite efficient even if at times it might have looked somewhat diffident or a little bumbling.

I checked repeatedly on YouTube a couple of videos with sir Adrian on the podium (infinitely rare documents) and paid attention on his method. In his career, most of the time Boult was using a long baton: As we can see, thanks to a live footage of the Beethoven violin concerto at the Royal Albert Hall, its length was roughly the third of Oistrakh's violin bow. Many conductors chose the use of a long stick. According to Raymond Holden in his study `The technique of conducting', sir Henry Wood's baton was long (24 inches) and fabricated according to precise requirements. However, Wood's preference was not shared universally: "Herbert von Karajan preferred a short baton, while sir John Barbirolli opted for a stick of moderate length. Some conductors, however, prefer not to use a baton [...] and beat time with bare hands" (ex. Boulez, Stokowski and Mitropoulos). The great Bruno Walter was an advised advocate for the usage of the little wooden stick and so was sir Adrian: In his essay, `Thoughts on Conducting', Boult describes the conductor's baton as a logical prolongment of the body, to some extent, a crucial tool to help communicate clearly and firmly the `instructions' to the orchestra. Eye contact with performers is another matter of particular significance. On that topic, Holden neatly refers to Boult: "Probably the most famous example of a conductor using eye contact to achieve his musical objectives was Arthur Nikisch. [...] Sir Adrian Boult also commented on Nikisch's use of the eye [...]". For all purposes, the `mesmerizing' style of Nikisch has little (or nothing) to do with hypnosis, but rather with a practical technique and methods on workable means of expression.

Dr. Teresa Marrin Nakra (Immersion Music), a specialist in her domain formed at the M.I.T., makes it clear that "conducting is a mature form that has developed over 250 years and has an established, documented technique. The gesture language of conducting is understood and practiced by many musicians, and is commonly used as a basis for evaluating the skill and artistry of conductors." She also remarks that "Sir Adrian Boult wrote about the baton as an extension of the hand in `A Handbook on the Technique of Conducting': "Properly used, the stick is simply an extra joint, a lengthening of the arm. It follows that in cases where the stickless conductor would use the whole forearm for a gesture, with his wrist at some 20 inches from his chest, the conductor with a stick can achieve the same result with his arm practically still and his wrist 4 or 5 inches from the chest. The stick, like the gearbox of a motor car, will save a great deal of energy provided it is properly used." In another section of his book, he praised the technique of another conductor by stating that "the late Arthur Nikisch, whose ease in controlling the stick was most remarkable, seemed to hold his stick as an elongation of his thumb: it almost looked as if they were tied together" (Ref.: T. M. Nakra; `Inside the Conductor's Jacket: Analysis, Interpretation and Musical Synthesis of Expressive Gesture'). Leonard Bernstein's comments on the subject are likewise fascinating: "If the conductor uses a baton, the baton itself must be a living thing, charged with a kind of electricity, which makes it an instrument of meaning in its tiniest movement. If he does not use a baton, his hands must do the job with equal clarity. But baton or no baton, his gestures must be first and always meaningful in terms of the music."

*Boult and the BBC.*
This fine Dutton disc offers splendid examples of the vintage BBC years of sir Adrian Boult. Dutton Vocalion have released a splendid number here, for this collection (first volume) offers uniformly good, well-played music with honest sound quality. The Berlioz Overtures were recorded in 1936. Boult's Berlioz is especially excellent and, to some extent, recalls the young Monteux. King Lear has sure-fire luminescence; the BBC players deliver a lively and powerful sound. By the way, Michael Dutton's remastering job is awesome. The 32nd Symphony (Overture) is a small Mozartian bijou which Boult and the BBC do not attempt to turn into the futile crowd-pleaser it isn't. In its sincerity, that's a rewarding performance. The overture to Cosi fan tutte proves that Boult's Mozart was as fine and effective as Beecham's in his heyday. Berlioz's Les francs juges is quite a bit somber but here Boult doesn't fail as well and smartly maintains the tension throughout (the tone evokes the Symphonie Fantastique). The BBC pulls the hell out of it; what a great reading it is! The Overtures by Mendelssohn are noteworthy, in particular The Hebrides - written during and after a trip to Scotland in 1829. As prof. Geoff Kuenning remarks in his notes on Mendelssohn, "The most striking aspect of this overture is it's successful tone-painting. We can hear the breaking of the waves, almost see the basalt columns and strange colors, and above all experience the overwhelming vastness of the cavern. Many composers, before and since, have used music to depict the physical world, but in Fingal's Cave, Mendelssohn set an example that has never been equaled." Borodin's Marche Polonaise flows with bravura and boldness. The opening to Ruy Blas shows why the BBC S.O.'s brass had no equal in England. They had a mighty and dignified sound, with a sort of `golden' quality to it. The classic 1945 Boult/BBC recording of the Planets is yet another great example of this. The Auber is an outstanding piece and here as well Boult and the BBC show cohesion and adeptness in their handling of melodic structures. Gustav Holst's Scherzo is a rarity which we have here the chance to listen in this exemplary 1944 recording. Sir Adrian Boult is a worthy successor of Henry Wood as regards clarity of textures and concentration. The BBC's sound was immediate, taut and muscular while keeping sufficient room for the softest passage. On this disc each work sparkles with energy and rarely heard intensity. To quote Laurence Vitte of Audiophile Audition, "the sheer integrity of the readings, achieved through a surprisingly urgent simplicity of phrasing lends the music a direct power that speaks from the heart. The best examples of this are the two Berlioz overtures, the Hebrides Overture of Mendelssohn and a previously unpublished recording of the rarely-heard Scherzo from an unfinished symphony of Gustav Holst". For its substance and various qualities the present CD i 100% recommend, with no reserve.

Average customer rating:

Idiosincratic refinement, panache and éclat!
A masterpiece restored to greatness

Bruno Walter Conducts Mozart [SACD]

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000K4HW
Release Date: 1999-09-07

Customer Reviews:

Idiosincratic refinement, panache and éclat!.......2007-02-18

The well known musical art of conduction of Bruno Walter arises suspicion in those modern times due the impressive versatility of his musical preferences. But if I was required the composer he shone with radiant majesty and sublime intensity; I had to pronounce: Mozart.

Today as yesterday, the legend would seem to make us forget us the marvelous interpretations of Walter during the thirties, forties and early fifties around Wolfgang Amadeus. And I underline this period, because after 1954 his recordings simply never achieved the distinguished refinement and artistic commitment.

So if you are a hard fan of Mozart it would be very convenient to intend to get all what Walter recorded with mercurial vehemence in those two decades.

His Mozart certainly acquired a vertiginous impulse since the first bar, conveyed us instantaneously to Mozart's universe without restraints, breathing such Dionysian atmosphere that had nothing to do with the level of virtuosity but the given approach that came from the soul and spirit. The process of articulation was organically perfect, you could distinguish that environment, hovered of that touch of class invisible beneath the score.

These are true musical milestones in the musical universe. And finally I would like you to recommend a special edition, composed by four CD edited in France and fortunately available in Amazon France, released in January 2007.

After Sandor Vegh, there has not been such conductor who had felt with major conviction and artistic persuasiveness like Walter.

A masterpiece restored to greatness.......2002-01-11

Listening to the SACD transfer of this classic recording is akin to seeing the ceiling of the Sistine chapel after its restoration. It is as if a layer of grime has been removed, revealing the glory underneath. Unlike any previous LP or CD versions, this SACD has an amazing transparency, immediacy, and warmth. There is some tape hiss, but this is far preferable to the "no noise" transfers that strip away the music as they remove the noise. This untampered recording is incredibly realistic. To convince yourself, listen to the beginning of the "Prague" symphony: the basses literally leap out of the right speaker and grab you by the throat. Wow!!!