Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Willi Boskovsky, Vienna Mozart Ensemble :: Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik K525; Serenata Notturna K239; Serenade in D K320 "Posthorn"; Serenade in D K100; Serenade in D K250 "Haffner"

Ever-green, sparkling performances.

John Austin | Kangaroo Ground, Australia | 05/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Whatever we put in our shopping trolley usually has a "use by" date. If it has the name "Mozart" on it, however, then you may be sure you will want to go on using it for the rest of your life. It will never go stale, and you'll never tire of it. Especially ever-green are the serenades found in this double CD. All were composed for the equivalent of the "dinner music" market of the day, for performance by noblemen's house musicians. In style they are not therefore overly complex or intricate. Sometimes, as in the last few minutes of K 239, Mozart repeats the same trick over and over again. The earliest of the serenades, K 100, dates from Mozart's thirteenth year. The remainder are the "named" serenades (named by Mozart himself). The last composed, Eine kleine Nachtmusik dates, from Mozart's 31st year. It originally had an additional minuet movement, now lost. The recordings were made in the Sofiensaal, Vienna, between 1969 and 1978. No one has ever found fault or inadequacy in these sparkling performances. No one will complain of poor value either. The two CDs play for almost 80 minutes each. If you want more of the same, try to find the set of 8CDs put out by the same label, comprising all the Mozart serenades and divertimenti recorded by Boskovsky and the Vienna Mozart Ensemble."