Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik & Posthorn Serenade

 

Karl Böhm was a master of Mozart. No, not perfect, but his positive contributions far outweigh the criticisms. I generally prefer Böhm's Mozart with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra versus the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and this recording is a case in point, of sorts.

Eine kleine Nachtmusik is played here with balletic lightness, and at times sounds a bit of middle-of-the-road prosaicness. Böhm paces the music such that one can hear the rhythms in the string tremolos of the first movement, instead of a much faster sawing away normally heard nowadays. Still, I find Vienna's performance discovering more to Mozart than either Mackerras in Scotland or James Levine in this same program, two conductors who are often touted in this music.

I don't think I have ever looked at the score to K. 525 before. In the second movement, I always assumed a later part of the main melody began on a pickup note, where I supposed the pickup was merely separated by a pause due to a fermata or more likely a tenuto; but indeed the melody starts up again flatly on the beat with a rest right before it, clearly shown in the example below. Consider me schooled!

The contrast between orchestras comes in the Serenade in D Major, subtitled Posthorn. Böhm with Berlin imbue this music with body and chutzpah, probably the best this music has ever been played. Having the likes of Irish flautist Sir James Galway and Lothar Koch on oboe are among the many pleasures featured across the concertante style of this orchestral serenade.

I enjoy this Galleria reissue, even if these same performances have been remastered later elsewhere. Better yet, if you can get your hands on Böhm's Haffner Serenade coupled with this Posthorn Serenade, you will have some of the finest Mozart available for ears to hear still today.

 

 

Works
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525 (19.19)
Serenade in D Major 'Posthorn', K. 320 (40.57)

Soloists
James Galway, flute
Lothar Koch, oboe
Horst Eichler, posthorn

Ensemble
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (K 525)
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (K 320)
Karl Böhm, conductor

Label: DGG
Year: 1971-1976; 1987
Total Timing: 60.48

Böhm and Berlin are the ones to beat in the Posthorn Serenade, even if the work is not often considered greater Mozart. They practically throw themselves at the music.

I look to others as far as K. 525 is concerned, although this one still beats out those others that are touted on record, at least to my mind it does.

Find more Mozart recordings HERE!