Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra :: Mozart: Serenade in B flat "Gran Partita"; Serenade in E flat

Nice Mozart from the 1980s

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 07/26/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"DG reissues currency on two of Mozart's best examples of harmoniemusik, or music for wind band, from its vault with these 1986-87 recordings of Mozart Serenades K. 361 and K. 375 by the conductorless Orpheus Chamber Ensemble.



Any group recording this music has to compete with great recordings from the past by Furtwangler and Stokowski, among others, that are still available today. While this group's traversal may not reach those heights, and has something of a foggy recording, it can still be more than competitive in today's marketplace.



If you are a lover of harmoniemusik and perchance own a half-dozen LPs, cassettes, tapes or CDs of Mozart, Krommer, Triebensee or any other proponent of this genre, you know the K. 361 serenade is the Mt. Olympus of harmoniemusik. More well-developed than probably any other serenade, divertimento or partita, its 7 movements have an orchestral appeal that transcends typical party or parlor music.



The members of Orpheus make much from the wonderful score. Their playing is, as always, a model of unanimity, charm, decorum and teamwork. Never is a discouraging note or sour note blown and never is one part dominant over the others.



Their lingering loveliness in the two slow movements -- labeled adagio and romance -- are counterbalanced by joyous allegro moltos, especially the one that closes the "Gran Partita". Their playing seems a tad more introspective and clinical early in K. 375, whose five movements are the standard for this genre. The band more than makes up for any shortcoming in the final allegro with playing of controlled virtuosity and measured but glorious outbursts of woodwind sound.



Having owned several versions of each of these -- the last was the critically esteemed version by Classicum Consortium, which I believe is bettered by this -- I have never completely taken to the many repeats in the music. I read a review of a similar CD today that indicated there are 34 repeats in K. 361 alone. That's hearing a lot of good stuff twice, I know; but it's also hearing a lot of stuff twice.



This recording is somewhat atypical for its source, DGG, which normally produces recordings that are brillint and bass shy. This one is somewhat the opposite, with a lot at the bottom and not much brilliance on top. It's a decent recording but one that homogenizes the players.



The notes on this discount CD are above average for a discount product. In addition to a photo and listing, by part, of the players are four pages of notes about the music, its composition and a listening guide for the uninitiated. I think anyone new to this music will be helped a great deal by these rudimentary but nonetheless informative notes."