mozart symphonies

Mike,

My favourite Mozarts are 6, 38, 39, 40 and 41.

I'm a great fan of Pinnock and the Concert but only have Mozart 6th by him. But do have his Messiah set which is just amazing - Arleen Auger's delivery of I Know My Reedemer moves me like little else every time I hear it.

Regards,

Lindsay

A superb collection, available as an inexpensive 5-disc set from Sanctuary is The London Mozart Players conducted by Jane Glover, Symphonies 25-41 inclusive.

The 2-disc set of Symphonies 38-41 inc from Charles Mackerras with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra on Linn is excellent. It seems to get deeper into Mozart than most others.

Regards,
Ken

I love the box set of Christopher Hogwood and The Academy of Ancient Music on Oiseau-Lyre.

I believe I must be a heretic, because I tend to find period instrument Mozart symphonies somewhat boring. Tempi are quicker, textures are leaner, but the music doesn't seem to flow the same. For Mozart's operas it seems to work, but not the symphonies. That's why I usually turn to Krips, Bohm, Beecham, Reiner, and other conductors of old first. (That written, the great G Minor symphony benefits from brisk tempi - but it still needs the heft of a modern band to be maximally effective.)


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Couldn't get on with Pinnock, was passed on - unlike the Böhm on CBS which are my personal benchmark. Beecham has a great touch as well, just happen to prefer his Schubert and Sibelius.

As always, ymmv

I'm afraid I haven't heard the Pinnock set.

The Mackerras SCO set is exceptional. I've also heard the team do a few of them live - the Prague was particularly special. The other week they did a concert including the Paris and Linz and based on how fine they are I really hope they record them.

His 'complete' set with the Prague Chamber Orchestra on Telarc is also excellent, and makes as persuasive a case for the earlier works as I've heard.

Regarding Bohm (who I think is on DG rather than CBS, with the BPO), I didn't get on too well with the set. It was nice enough, but I didn't think it would get played very often in comparison to other recordings so didn't keep it.

Another favourite recording is Giulini's 36th with the Philharmonia on a live issue from the BBC (coupled with an equally superb Brahms first).

There are some very fine recordings of they symphonies by Furtwangler, though that's about as far from period performance as you can get.


regards, Tam

quote:

Originally posted by Tam:

Regarding Bohm (who I think is on DG rather than CBS, with the BPO),
regards, Tam

quite right, got the labels mixed with the Walter set, hope to be off the meds soon

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Kelly:
I love the box set of Christopher Hogwood and The Academy of Ancient Music on Oiseau-Lyre.

I have several of the set on vinyl. Christopher Hogwood is is a great guy and has made some truly wonderful recordings.

I like this recording:

MOZART: Symphonies 39 and 41 “Jupiter” – Orchestra of St. Luke’s/Donald Runnicles

Lots of life and gusto where approriate, coupled to excellent playing.

Ian

I would like to put a word in for some Mozart Symphony recordings.

Beecham's series with the LPO made in the thirties is immensely fine, subtle, and extra-ordinarily well played as well. EMI have reissued these on LPs and CDs but sadly they are not available in those remarkable transfers at the moment, though certainly worth looking out for second hand.

I think these older recordings from Beecham are preferable to his stereo LP era remakes for any number of reasons, primarily musical, though it is by no means obvious that the tape recordings are in any way better than the 78 master transfers done by AC Griffith in the 1970s, and sumptuously released in a luxury box [by World Record Club - an EMI off-shoot], with immensely detailed notes which even went as far as naming each member of the orchestra at every session!

For the LP era I commend the recordings with the Philharmonia under Otto klemperer, which are a big surprise if you are not acquainted with them. The recordings range from 1955 to the late '60s, and certainly give the lie to the notion that Klemperer was a conductor who always takes a slow tempo.

The recordings contain fine performances of Symphonies 25, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, and 39, 40, and 41.

The winds are phenemally well balanced against a lythe and muscular string section, and there is never any doubt about the musical animation, or drive contained, and this all serves as the basis for a very comprehansive probing of the wonderful musical message contained in each one, whether it be the serenity of the Linzer [36], or the tragedy of the two G Minor Symphonies [25 and 40], the grandeur of the E Flat and Jupiter [39 and 41], or even the jollity found in Number 34 in C or the Haffner [35]. This is an almost identical selection to that recorded by Beecham in the thirties.

Also remarkably fine are the recordings on DG from Boehm, which is a complete set of the whole set encompassing 44 different works, if I remember right.

MacKErras has also completed a full cycle which is immensely fine in the works I have heard, and these include the first three discs of the Telarc set with the early works on. This makes a great case for the music.

Bruno Walter left a live recording [Salzburg Festival with the VPO in 1956] which is probably the most powerful perfoprmance I have yet found of the "Little" G Minor [25], which is coupled with a exemplary performance [also live from the same concert] of the Requiem. On Orfeo. His CBS recordings are also superb, and worth seeking out.

Of the HIP recordings I am very taken with Hogwood's recordings. These do not strip the emotional content away in the name of HIP dogma, but rather cast a fresh light on the music. What I find a surprise is that Klemperer and Hogwood frequently find very similar tempi and wind balances in the music, though no doubt the Accademy of Ancient Music make a rather more period sonority than the Philharmonia, whose style is perlucid, and wonderfully clear in the part-writing, but also certainly a cultivated modern sonority that is not so close to the sound of the old string set-ups, and old brass and wind instruments played for Hogwood.

When people have discovered these great works, then I reaaly hope some will takle in the great symphonies of Joseph Haydn as well!

ATB from George

quote:

Originally posted by Ian G.:
I like this recording:

MOZART: Symphonies 39 and 41 “Jupiter” – Orchestra of St. Luke’s/Donald Runnicles

Lots of life and gusto where approriate, coupled to excellent playing.

Ian

Forgot about that. Very good it is too.

regards, Tam

quote:

I have several of the set on vinyl

Me too ROTF but no TT currently so they languish in storage.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeeschman:
any comments on Mozart: Symphonies
English Concert, and Trevor Pinnock

Overrated. The symphonies, not the band, who are excellent.

quote:

Originally posted by winkyincanada:
PD

what is pd?

Please delete. I posted on the wrong thread.

One who has been missed is Sir Colin Davis on Philips.

I used to have the Jupiter from the Dresden State Orchestra with Davis, and it was much more than simpl very beautifully played and well [digitally] recorded, but I have not seen it for years. That was in my LP days, and if I remember right it was cut onto two sides inspite of only being a few seconds longer than half an hour!

It has comparable drive and stature to Klemperer's EMI and a not dissimilar style though the Dresdeners are unique and wonderful in their own right.

ATB from George

anyone remember joseph krips doing mozart?

I second Tam's recommendation of Mackerras' recent SCO set on Linn of symphonies 38-41. They top my list in all respects, from performances to recording. A desert island set.

Dear Mike,

Joseph Krips was a lovely musician - a great friend of Adrian Boult - who made some lovely recordings, but I never came across his work with Mozart.

Another real poet of the podium was Rafal Kubelic, whose Vienna Phil [EMI] set on two CDs [ultra-budget] includes the Linzer, 39 in E Flat, and the Jupiter, made up with the most charming recording of the Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and a March from some entirely rare cassation!

It contains m favourite recording of the Jupiter.

ATB from George

quote:

Originally posted by GFFJ:
Dear Mike,

Joseph Krips was a lovely musician - a great friend of Adrian Boult - who made some lovely recordings, but I never came across his work with Mozart.

Joseph Krips did a full mozart cycle on phillips in the late 70s (i think). when i get home, i'll dig through the records and find them. i'm sure i have 40 and 41 and the Haffner.

Dear Mike,

Please post the details. I would love to know what to look out for, as Krips is one of the great unsung heroes of the podium. I like the simple fact that he never over-bakes the music, and takes any vestige of charm out of it!

From what I have heard, Schubert, if I remember it, I knew that I adored his approach!

Please do post the details.

ATB from George

Oldnslow - really you're thirding Ken's recommendation of the Mackerras since he beat me to it.


I'd forgotten the Davis recordings (recently reissued in a Philips box) which contains 28-41. The main asset in my view is the superb playing and while I don't find them quite as satisfying as Mackerras, there are some very good readings. That said, it's quite a way from an HIP approach, though whether that's a good or bad thing is a matter of personal taste.

regards, Tam

quote:

Originally posted by mikeeschman:
Joseph Krips did a full mozart cycle on phillips in the late 70s (i think).

His early 70s ('72, '73 - he died in 1974) Mozart recordings with the Concertgebouw are available in a budget box set from Decca. Somewhat on the broad side tempo-wise, the playing (and sound) is gorgeous and the music making first rate. Definitely not HIP in any way. Perhaps even better is his Mozart Requiem from a bit later - it was his last public performance and it's as good as any version I've heard.



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Dear Todd,

You and Mike will have me spending money on things I should not!

Thanks both for the information, both on the Symphonies and the Requiem, which I never tire of!

I listened to the Little Night Music earlier from the VPO with Rafal Kubelic. Joy be that there is not the slightest sign of HIP or anything over-weighty either!

That set is an EMI 2CD Seraphim ultra budget issue with the Haffner, Linzer, Praguer, and Jupiter Symphonies, the Serenade mentioned and a complete Cassation, so my mental catalogue was not quite right!

Such joy that I can have from music truly to be called great in ever single way, and yet which wears its learning so lightly!

There are times when I really want to make everone properly listen to it and share the joy. I actually feel sorry for those who cannot love this music ...

Thanks, thanks, thanks, from George

quote:

Originally posted by GFFJ:
Thanks both for the information, both on the Symphonies and the Requiem, which I never tire of!

No problem. Beware, though, that the Requiem is part of an expensive Andante three-disc set. (The other discs have Pollini playing three concertos live with the VPO, and David Oistrakh conducting some works.)

Seeing Kubelik reminds me that I must sample more of his Mozart. I've heard precious little, and I think Kubelik is one of the very greatest conductors. I must fix that as soon as possible!


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