To quote Tom Lehrer "It's a sobering thought that by the time Mozart was my age he'd been dead for three years." I know how he felt, though I not yet quite old enough to have outlived him, I did nearly choke on whatever it was I was drinking when I listened to the first symphony (K16) for the first time whilst reading in the booklet that he was but 8 years old when he wrote it.

Anyway, given it's the anniversary year, and we don't seem to have had a huge amount of Mozart (well, apart for Ian's thread), I thought I might try and alter that by mentioning some of my favourite works and interpreters.

We'll start with the concerti. I have a soft spot for the horn concerti which were, I think, the first mozart concerti that I ever owned. I should admit that I came to them via the the Flanders and Swan song which uses the finale from the K495. I have two recordings, the Koster/Tafelmusik/Weil reading and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and I think my preference is probably for the latter. I'm also rather fond of the clarinet concerto, though I only have the Orpheus's recording and wonder whether there are better out there.

Of course, no mention of the Mozart concerti would be complete without turning to the piano, particularly when I'm writing the thread, as I find the piano somehow the most satisfying instrument in a concerto. That said, my relationship with Mozart's didn't get off to a terribly good start. Following the penguin guide, I decided that I couldn't go wrong by buying Perahia's cycle (their rosettes having never steered me wrong in the past). That said, my only previous encounter with Perahia had been dreadful Edinburgh festival concert with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields where he proved (for me) why you shouldn't use a piano in a brandenburg concerto and that if, as a conductor, you're going to sing along with the music, you could at least do it in tune. But I digress. It's not that the Perahia cycle is bad, more I think that I had terribly high hopes for it and, as a result, it proved to be something of letdown and just left me a little unmoved much of the time. That said, I'm currently engaged in surveying all my Mozart piano concerti to decide which are going on my ipod (upon which space is fast becoming a premium) and his 4th and 5th have made it, so he isn't all bad. On of my favourites, though, technically not by Mozart, like all the first four, is the 2nd concerto (K39) from which I find the middle movement painfully beautiful, and Barenboim's reading with ECO particularly fine. Indeed, I would commend the whole of Barenboim's cycle, and indeed his latter, and much more refined (which has both its pros and cons) with the BPO, both of which can be had for an absolute song. Indeed, the Berlin cycle also has a rather wonderful bonus DVD with the concerti for two and 3 pianos with Solti and Schiff. Mozart's first really great piano concerto is probably the 9th (the Jeunehomme), which was recently featured on radio 3s building a library. There is rather fine mono account (though I don't know if it's available separately) with Kempff/Munchinger and the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester. Of more recent accounts Barenboim's with the BPO is rather fine, though I'm keenly awaiting the arrival of the Brendel/Mackerras/SCO version which I have on order. This latter team has so far done four discs, and I think, sadly, no more are planned, and I was much impressed when I saw the concert that followed the recording of their last effort (numbers 12 and 17). So far, however, I have only got their 20 and 24, both of which are very fine indeed. I have, somewhat deliberately, missed out a great many fine concerti, this is mainly because I want to steer clear of talking about the ones that I don't know so well, hopefully others will fill in.

I used to think that once you got below about about 25, the symphonies were rather a pale shadow of the later ones (indeed, there was recently a thread along those lines over on the radio 3 boards). Then, a few years ago, I picked up the Mackerras, Prague Chamber Orchestra complete cycle (on Telarc, most of which is, I think, available as individual discs too). - Incidentally, like most of my classical threads, with the exception of my Ring cycle and Mahler ones, this one is probably going to be a little heavy on Mackerras - Anyway, the vitality with which they play the early works is really quite something, indeed, the first few discs are among the most recommendable in the entire cycle, and now some of my favourite listening. That's not to detract from the later symphonies, which he plays very well too, but just that they lack something of the magic he brings to the youngest ones. I'm not going to mention all the fine symphonies, that would take too long and I will leave my glaring omissions to others to fill in (though I do feel a little bad skipping over 34-36). Instead, the only other ones I shall mention are two of my favourites, and the first two Mozart symphonies I ever owned: 40 and 41, the latter being one of my favourite symphonies of all time. There are doubtless many fine recordings of these two (including the rather nice Erich Kleiber/LPO 40th that I'm listening to as I write this) but I haven't heard anything, at least in the Jupiter, that touches Bernstein's account with the VPO.

A number of times and on a number of threads, Uchida's survey of Mozart's piano work has been mentioned and, to be honest, I don't think there is much to add to what has already been written. This is superb playing and should really be on every self-respecting Mozartian's shelf. I'll only point out my favourite moment, which comes in the Turkish March finale of the K331 sonata which features some of the most beautiful piano playing anywhere on disc and would almost certainly make it with me to my desert island. That said, the Solomon readings of the 331 and 576 (which couple with his unsurpassed Beethoven 5th concerto on Testament) are not bad.

Lastly I'll turn to opera. I'm about to enjoy Mackerras's (there I go again ) new release of La Clemenza di Tito, which was recorded just prior to a rather fine concert performance at the Edinburgh festival last summer and marks the latest instalment of his SCO cycle which has now jumped labels for the second time (by my count: it started on Telarc, went to EMI for Idomeneo, and this new issue comes from DG with Magdelena Kozena and Rainer Trost). That said, Clemenza is hardly Mozart's finest opera, even in the hands of Sir Charles. Le Nozze di Figaro on the other hand arguable is. Indeed it is one of my favourite operas and I have three recordings (none of which, you will doubtless be pleased to read is by Mackerras....yet). Part of the reason for my soft spot for Figaro stems from the fact that the Giulini/Philharmonia recording with Taddei and Schwarzkopf was the first opera I owned and I still prefer this recording above all other that I've heard. That said, purists may well object because in order to get it onto two discs Marcellina and Basilio's arias from act 4 have been lost. However, for my money that helps solve a problem in Figaro which is that most of the best music is in the first half, and the pace can sag accordingly. The only complete reading I have is Boehm with the likes of Prey, Mathis and Fischer-Dieskau, which in fact, only gets better as the opera progresses (after something of a shaky, and, to my ears, poorly recorded start). Still, it doesn't quite do it for me in the way Giulini does. The other account I have, which I can thoroughly recommend is Gui's mid 50s Glyndebourne account (which I believe is the favourite of Gramophone's good CD guide). I only purchased it because it's two sans libretto discs (cut in the same manner as Giulini) were on sale for just £6 in HMV the other day, and it would have been rude to pass them up (even when not on sale I think it only goes for around a ten pounds). This is a very fine account too, and though sound is a little 'early stereo' it is remarkably good for its time. If you're new to Figaro and/or on a budget (or even if you're not) it's well worth picking up. At this point I should probably leave a little space so that Graham can demand to know why I haven't yet tried Erich Kleiber's account - it's on my list! The only other operas I'll mention are Don Giovanni, which I have in the form of Giulini's very fine account, though I wonder whether it's a opera that really needs to be seen as well as heard, since it doesn't quite seem to capture the wit and sparkle of the Opera North production I saw last year. Lastly, there is the Magic Flute, I only have one recording, and it comes from Charles Mackerras (who else) and the LPO and is the only account in English and is very fine indeed.

I have doubtless missed many great works and interpreters off this list and, there was a certain degree of intent in that direction, the hope being that others will want to fill in the awful gaps my shameless Mackerras bias may have left. So, the floor is open!

regards, Tam

Dear Tam,

Just as a matter of interest to yourself and others, there has been rather a lot of Mozart in my First Concertos Thread! I am not going to reiterate all my Mozartian recommendations, but merely point out that the Thread has come back to life, and is on page one of the Music room again.

All the bets from Fredrik

Dear Fredrik,

Very true, though most of it was a while ago so it had somewhat slipped my mind. That said, the more recent Mozart talk therein was part of what made me think of writing this....

And now that I think about it, there was a fair amount of Mozart in the first symphonies thread too....

Perhaps we ought to hold ourselves back to opera, chamber music and choral work on here (which would certainly give us more than enough to be getting along with.....)

regards, Tam

Dear Tam,

I think the First Threads probably diserve a life in the general, so I think maybe we should persist,here, with WA M, and I'll dream up a post for tomorrow evening, in the round as it were for a start!

Email winging its way, from Fredrik

I trust this year will see many new Mozart recordings and tons of reissues. Personally, I'm very eager to hear Claudio Abbado's new recording of Die Zauberflote when it comes out, and I simply must get the DG Originals reissue of Wilhelm Kempff playing a couple Mozart sonatas and fantasies. What other goodies will come, I wonder . . .

Well, Tam, at least Erich Kleiber's Figaro got an honourable mention in your list. It is utterly spellbinding. It's right up there with the de Sabata/Callas Tosca as one of my favourite opera recordings.

But back to Mozart, and staying with opera to start with. Although Giulini's Don Giovanni will be top of many people's list, not all would agree with his casting of a baritone (Waechter) as Giovanni. An alternative might be the Decca version conducted by Krips, recorded (unbelievably) in the very same month as the Kleiber Figaro by the same recording team and with many of the same singers as on the Kleiber set. At around the same time Decca also recorded Cosi and Zauberfloete under Boehm, but I've never heard either.

As to Zauberfloete, I recommend Boehm's later DG recording (his female cast is not absolutely top rank, but the set would be worth having for Wunderlich's Tamino alone - but there's much else to admire and the Berlin Phil make a glorious sound). If you can live without dialogue, Klemperer's Flute is very fine, with a genuinely top flight cast, including Lucia Popp's Queen of the Night. And I agree that Sir Chuck's recent English language Flute is pretty impressive.

I'll suggest a few other recordings at random.

Emil Gilels unmatchably brilliant in the last Piano Concerto, K595. I wonder if DG will ever rerelease his live Salzburg solo recording (I have the original full price CD release, sadly long deleted)?

The Grumiaux (and friends) recording of the String Quintets.

The early Alban Berg Quartet's recording of the mature String Quartets on Teldec (which I fear may just have been deleted).

Klemperer's two (mainly mono) Philharmonia symphony discs on Testament (from some of his very first sessions with the orchestra and better, I think, than the heavier stereo remakes available on EMI). You get Symphonies 29, 38, 39 and 41, as well as Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and the Seranata Notturno.

I entirely endorse previous suggestions of Uchida in solo piano music and Grumiaux in the Violin Concertos.

And if I could have only one set of the Piano Concertos? It would have to be Andras Schiff with Sandor Vegh conducting his Salzburg players with unmatched wisdom and authority.

And I've only scratched the surface here. We really should go down on bended knee in gratitude for the fact that our little green and black boxes are able to reproduce so many wonderful performances of music by the greatest genius the world has ever known.

Graham

quote:

Originally posted by graham55:
The early Alban Berg Quartet's recording of the mature String Quartets on Teldec (which I fear may just have been deleted).

The newe(ish) set on EMI is great though.

Brendel's Indian Summer Mozart recordings should not be missed, and I wouldn't like to be without my trust Bohm recordings of the symphonies; a bit heavy handed compared to these modern lightweight jerky affairs, but inspired and totally committed - which is the name of the game.

EW

..and I am more than happy to live without that bloody Requiem after hearing it in the background of every bastard Hollywood film in which someone dies.

EW

EW

Just because a piece gets a bit hackneyed doesn't mean that it's not great music - often it's the greatness which means that it gets a bit overused or clichéd.

Give it another go - go on.....

Kevin

quote:

Originally posted by kevj:
[...]doesn't mean that it's not great music

Give it another go - go on.....

I don't think it's all that great - it's a histrionic sort of thing with a few good tunes, but it's all rather earthbound. Not his best composition - if indeed Mozart WAS the composer of said Requiem.

EW

That, of course, is the crux of the problem with the Requiem, and one of the reasons I didn't include it in my initial post. It might probably, and more accurately be described as Sussmayr's Requiem. To quote from Robert Levin's notes in my SCO Mackerras recording of his edition:

quote:

Sussmayr based his completion on Mozart's virtually complete score of the Introitus and drafts of all sections from the Kyrie fugue to the Hostias. These contain the completed vocal parts (solo and chorus) and the orchestral base line, with occasional motifs for the orchestral accompaniment. However, the Lacrimosa breaks off after the 8th bar. To these Mozartean materials Sussmayr added settings of the Sanctus/Hosanna, Benedictus, Angus Dei and Communion.

That said, the recording is not at all bad, but I agree with EW that there is better Mozart out there.

regards, Tam

I mentioned in my initial post that I'd just picked up the new Mackerras/SCO Clemenza di Tito with Kozena and Trost. Its recording was followed by a rather fine concert at last summer's Edinburgh festival. Well, I can thoroughly commend the new disc, if anything it is finer than was the concert . This is largely because my one major reservation then was Trost's voice wasn't quite powerful enough, however, with the magic of the recording studio such worries melt away. Kozena is extremely fine as is Christine Rice's Annio, indeed the whole cast is pretty good. The playing of the SCO is outstanding, and some of the solo work (as it was in the concert) is quite magical. The only thing missing is applause at then end. Suffice to say, if you don't already have a Clamenza in your collection, this one is well worth it.

My only reservation, is that since the secco recitatives are by our old friend sussmayr not Mozart, this perhaps holds it back a little. I also find, there opera is rather heavy on recitatives and dialogue (though I'm given to understand that in this recording it's been cut back somewhere).

regards, Tam

Dear Tam, and other Friends,

What a beautiful collection of suggestions. In a way I think what i might add would be superfluous!

I would say that the 1950 Salzburg Festival performance of Don Giovanni with Tito Gobbi as the Don, is not to be missed. This Don is a very nasty piece of work, while his Leporello is indeed a long suffering human, of rather noble (in the non-aristocratic sense) qualities. Erich Kunz assumes the role like a hand in a glove. The ladies are splendid, and the Vieema Phil under Furtwangler certainly fence this perforamnce in in a clear, fiery, but never melodramatic structure, both musically and psychologically in a way I would describe as unique, actaully.

The recording just fails to capture the event without some peaking, that others may find very difficult. Startlingly this is first encountered on the very opening chord of the Overture, but the mood is set for a real drama of considerable moral power. An extra-ordinary achievement!

I am working both days this weekend, so may well not get the chance to add much till next week, but I will try!

Fredrik

Dear Fredrik,

I had rather hoped you might bring up Furtwangler's Salzburg operas (since I noticed you listening to one of them on the what are you listening to thread the other day).

As something of an admirer of Furtwangler, I'm always more than a little curious when I read about his operas and I'm sure they would make an interesting contrast to the Mackerras readings (with his quick and historically informed style). The only issue I have is that there are so many different versions of each one available on disc (there are 3 Dons - 50, 53 and 54 - and two Flutes - 49 and 51) and it's tough to know which ones to choose - anyone have any guidance on that score?

regards, Tam

Dear Tam,

Just a quick reply. I actually have more Mozart Opera under Furtwangler than any other conductor! The 1950 Fidelio (with Flagstad is priceless, but off topic ), and my favourite Don is the 1950, whereas the 1954 is much more a tale a a waggish rogue, who one quite likes! Seems a shame the old cad should go to hell, and after all those ladies... well that is enough of that sort of thing. This not the Padded Cell!

I have the 1951 Magic Flute, which I would say was as rare and grand as the 1950 Don. The singing is glorious, and the approach serious, but only rarely very slow. In fact Furtwangler tends to move things along, but always has time for the slower music to breath (and his singers to phrase beautifully!), and finally the Marriage Of Figaro, which is sung in German, amd not Italian. I think this decision was made for the Salzburg audience who certainly do not refrain from seeing the humour on occasion. So much for Furtwangler the High Priest of Music being too serious. His approach makes a rather telling foil to the modern approach.

Essentially it is an a view that takes the psychology of Mozart (rather than simply the libretto), and therefore his weighting of the music, as the starting point. It produces very though-provoking results, which become deeply satisfying on furher aquaintance. It very architectural, and the flexibility is entirely a question of expression and structure, and is nothing like as broad a is say Furtwangler's Beethoven Symphony performances. Of course the VPO is the most superb and stylish band (who play with startling articulation and rhythmic poise), and though we may think that singing has improved in Mozart over the last sixty years, the casts, based mainly on the State Opera in Vienna, show something even more important. Familiarity with each other, and as a result a real team spirit. This kind of thing simply is not possible today, where the stars all jet set...

So unique performances, and in reasonable, but no better, recordings, except the 1954 Don, which is superb till the last Act Finale, where it becomes rather like the rest of the earlier tapes. (Only a few minutes in the two and a half hour plaing time). I find the imperfections no distraction, and the presense of a real appreciative audience, an adavantage, and the sense of flow and shape from such tremendous performances totally compelling.

All these have been issued by EMI except the 1949 Flute, and the 1953 Don, which I have never heard, though contemporary press reports suggest that the 1954 performance which had the same cast was a significantly greater artistic success. I guess that between Furtwangler's fiftieth anniversary (of his death 15 months ago), and Mozart's 250th of his birth this year, it may well be possible to find these estimable versions.

I would suggest people buy them one at a time, as though each is different as music, they share the same flaws, mainly a question of recording quality, which may not quite appeal to those reared on fine stereo efforts!

All the best from Fredrik

Thanks for that Fredrik - very interesting as ever and more things to open my wallet for

To stray from topic for a moment, I wasn't aware of the Furtwangler/Flagstad Fidelio (so that too may have to go on the list - though my next planned acquisition in that direction is Klemperer's mono account on testament, in part because it features Hans Hotter, whom I always like to hear).

regards, Tam

Dear Tam,

As matter of interest is that the Covent Garden Production? I had a friend who was in the basses at the time, so I can tell you a funny story or two about it! The orchestra were not used to the great man like the Philharmonia!

Hotter is one the great singers in my view! Fredrik

Yes, it is Covent Garden.

Hotter certainly was a great - though for the most part I only know him through his Wagner, and I'm sure it will be pleasant to broaden my discography of him.

regards, Tam

Incidentally, and to return this thread to its subject, does anyone know the Amadeus Quartet's 60s cycle of Mozart string quartets? I ask because my local cd shop had the full cycle on offer for around 25 pounds when I was in there the other day and the string quartets are something of a gaping whole in my cd collection that I have been meaning to plug for quite some time....

regards, Tam

I knew you would say that. More expense! Fredrik

PS: To bring this full circle, I have never heard either Furtwangler or Klemperer produce any Mozart symphony that was not totally convincing. Where they overlap (only in 39 and 40) I struggle to decide which I like the best. Klemperer probably in 39 and Furtwangler (VPO 1948 on HMV 78s, and re-issued on EMI CD) in 40, perhaps! In view of my opinion that I prefer Haydn to Mozart as symphonist, I wish Haydn would have been lucky enough to find artists of this calibre to record the music. Beecham, yes, and Davis, well almost, but Mozart has been more fashioable for a long time now... we need more of their type nwadays!