Naxos Mozart

Universally famous for his glorious overtures Light Cavalry and Poet and Peasant (Naxos 8.553935), Franz von Suppé was one of the greatest exponents of the golden Age of Viennese Operetta. But he was also a master of incidental music for popular plays, one of which is Mozart – an example of Künstler-Lebensbild (‘life portrait of an artist’). Suppé’s music subtly accompanies the stage action as the story of the composition of Mozart’s music unfolds, offering a potpourri of Mozart’s works served up with Suppé’s trademark flair. Die Afrikareise presents a piquant and brilliant travelogue.

The late 18th century was a transcription-heavy time, and it would seem that the substitution of a flute for the violin in Mozart's sonatas for violin and piano would be the most natural thing in the world. Yet it doesn't quite work out that way in this release by French flutist Patrick Gallois and Bulgarian pianist Maria Prinz. The music makes a perfectly pleasant impression; Gallois comes from a long line of French players whose tone alone is probably worth the purchase price, and he's got a lovely way with Mozart's melodies.

In the summer of 1781 Mozart described his new home Vienna as "the land of the piano". He soon set about presenting his own subscription concerts, offering the three newly-composed concertos on this disc for publication "either with a large orchestra or a quattro". The latter, more intimate versions of these charming works are performed here by Robert Blocker, Dean of Music and Professor of Piano at Yale University, and the youthful Biava Quartet, winners of the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and top prizes at the Premio Borciani and London International Competitions.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Eine kleine Nachtmusik KV 525 / Serenata KV 239 / Sinfonia KV 364
Wiener Philharmoniker / Berliner Philharmoniker / Karl Böhm
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 303 MB | Full Artwork: 20 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Deutsche Grammophon "Resonance" # 427 208-2 | Country/Year: Germany 1980's / 1990's
Genre: Classical | Style: Viennese School

Karl August Leopold Böhm (1894 – 1981) was an Austrian conductor. (…) Böhm was praised for his rhythmically robust interpretations of the operas and symphonies of Mozart, and in the 1960s he was entrusted with recording all the Mozart symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic. His brisk, straightforward way with Wagner won adherents, as did his readings of the symphonies of Brahms, Bruckner and Schubert. His 1971 complete recording of the Beethoven symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic was also highly regarded. On a less common front, he championed and recorded Alban Berg's avant-garde operas Wozzeck and Lulu before they gained a foothold in the standard repertory. Böhm mentioned in the notes to his recordings of these works that he and Berg discussed the orchestrations, leading to changes in the score (as he had similarly done, previously, with Richard Strauss). He received numerous honors, among them first Austrian Generalmusikdirektor in 1964.