John Austin | Kangaroo Ground, Australia | 10/07/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's hard to imagine this set ever being replaced. The Vienna Mozart Ensemble, comprised about two dozen members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Willi Boskovsky, himself a former concertmaster of the orchestra, had long established himself as the unchallenged leader in performances of the great dance music associated with Vienna when these recordings were made in the 1960s. Mozart himself loved to dance, participating in organised dancing at his home that sometimes lasted all through the night, and sometimes dancing just with his wife Constanze to keep warm when there was not enough wood for the fire. Minuets, marches, German dances, contredanses - they are all here. Can you listen to 40 minuets in a row? Such is the variety of mood and colour that Mozart contrived, and such are the subtleties and nuances in these performances, that boredom never occurs."
You Bet! - 40 Minuets In A Row Played 40 Times In A Row!
John Austin | 02/23/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is Mozart in his element - The entire compilation is a gem! - Delightful and entertaining works - 40 minuets played 40 times in a row if it was up to me, not to mention the German Dances, and others. Try something: Put these cds on and close your eyes. Guarenteed to put a smile on your face and in your heart! Thanks to Phillips and all involved. The best Complete Mozart Edition in my library. I'm going to try my best to wear out these cds."
Overdose
"Worship Mozart!" | Grand Canyon State | 11/09/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I very much hate to be the only one giving this set less than 5 stars but one CD alone containing 46 minuets is a bit much for me. Of my entire 'Complete Mozart Edition' collection, this is the set that I play the least. It is hard to focus on Mozart's immeasurable genius in these short dance pieces -- you lose concentration after the first five dances because the arrangements are all rather similar. One can almost sense that these compositions were written as more a performance of duty or for income purpose than from pure inspiration. Some of the more fully scored (i.e., more than string trio) dances are more pleasurable."
Get on the dance floor
John Austin | 09/20/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These works span Mozart's creative life. In that respect it's a good way to see his artistic development---if you can keep still and resist the urge to dance. Hey, I don't dance, so I listen to a few CDs in a row and it doesn't get boring. That's Mozart's gift; the music just flows on and on, so why fight it. True, true: the music is played perfectly here. Cheers!"
Track Listings (42) - Disc #1