Leopold Mozart Serenad

One normally thinks of Divertimenti being occasional works, written to accompany other activities. While this was the intent of Mozart, his brilliance just can't be caged. These works are varied, interesting, expressive, and even famous. The three Divertimenti K136, K137 and K138 are actually string quartets but someone (W. Mozart? Leopold Mozart?)wrote "Divertimento" on the autograph score. Each has its own character and all have found their way into the repertoire. Often heard on classical music stations, they are tuneful and energetic works that predict correctly the brilliant future Mozart would achieve.

"The musicians of the multinational ensemble Klangkollektiv Wien, comprised of members of renowned Viennese orchestras, feel the need to interpret works from their everyday professional lives in another manner, outside of the music industry, in their own right and for the audience. The co-founder, violinist and conductor Rémy Ballot, born in Paris and living in Vienna, a student of Celibidache, has for years now had great success as musical director of the symphony cycle at the Brucknertage festival in St. Florian. On this album Klangkollektiv Wien presents a concert recording of Mozart's Figaro-Overture, his equally popular “Jupiter Symphony” and Haydns Symphony No. 101 “The Clock”, which he wrote for his London journey. Connecting element of the program is Joseph Haydn's famous saying to Leopold Mozart: “I tell you before God, and as an honest man, your son is the greatest composer known to me in person and by name; he has taste, and, what is more, the most profound skill in composition.”"

"Bravo Mozart!" exclaimed Emperor Joseph II as he stood up and tipped his hat at the end of the first performance of Piano Concerto No. 18 KV 456 , played by Mozart himself on 30 September 1784.

Up to and including Mozart, one important task for every composer not employed by the Church was to entertain. Much of Mozart’s best-loved music consists of occasional works intended for receptions and parties, balls and banquets, ceremonies and celebrations. These pieces are known to us under a number of different names: serenades, divertimenti, Nachtmusik and notturni…