1756-1791
I would normally add some background information about a composer here, but with so much scholarly material behind Mozart, what could I possibly add?
Of the Big 3 from the Classical Era, I most revere Haydn and Beethoven. The former for his humor and inventiveness, the latter for his bucking of traditions.
I must admit I have kept Mozart at a distance, but mostly so as to keep his music fresh on my palate. There is beauty, certainly; there is his way with a melody and its development. His music sounds natural and unforced, as if the ease with which he composed is an intimate secret between the listener and the composer.
Since I tend to listen to the Romantic Era and 20th Century music primarily, Mozart's compositions can be a balm for this listener; yet if I listen to too much at once, I can set his music aside as too simple or similar. This is my fault as a simpleton, not the composer's.
Mozart composed a daunting amount of music, as did Haydn for that matter, so I take it slow with the composer. This means I will be slow to add anything to his recordings page, particularly his operas, a genre I don't get around to often.
Recordings and reviews currently on hand
(Click orange links to visit a musing):
I have arranged our review links by recording date as well as by works below that.
The recording reviews cover the recording as a whole, while the work series, at the bottom, are our comments on the individual CDs from a larger set, breaking our thoughts down to focus more on the individual works and performances.
When
recommending alternate recordings for Mozart, I use the Bernard Michael
O'Hanlon methodology. I tend to share similar appreciated qualities in
Mozart's music with Sr. BMO'H, so I repeat some here with great
appreciations.
1988: Flute Concertos (Monteux)
1988: Piano Concertos 1-4 (Ashkenazy)
1988: Requiem (de Burgos)
1989: Sinfonia Concertante & Concertone
1990: Overtures (Vonk)
1990: Piano Concerto 23 (Horowitz)
1991: Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon Concertos
1991: Horn Concertos (Seifert)
1994: Requiem & Masses (Marriner set)
• Vespers (Guest)
• Coronation Mass (Marriner)
• Requiem (Marriner)
1996: Wind Quintets & Quartet
1998: Horn Concertante Fragments
1999: Overtures (Davis)
2001: Violin Concertos 1 - 3 (Oistrakh)
2001: Violin Concertos 4 & 5 (Oistrakh)
2003: Sinfonia Concertante (Böhm)
2011: Piano Concertos (Zacharias set)
2012: Horn Concertos (Brain)
2013: Mass in C minor (Leppard)
2016: Oistrakh Plays and Conducts Mozart
2018: Magic Flute (Böhm)
2019: Don Giovanni (Fricsay)
2023: Marriage of Figaro (Böhm)
Round-ups
Concertante Music Recording Round-up
Works Series
Piano Concertos (Zacharias)
• PC 1 - 4
• PC 5 & 6
• PC 7, 10, K. 448
• PC 8 & 9
• PC 11 & 12
• PC 13 - 15
• PC 16 & 17
• PC 18 & 19
• PC 20 & 21
• PC 22 & 23
• PC 24 & 25
• PC 26 & 27