Nikollaus Harnoncourt

This cd contains a rendition of a live concert given november of last year (2012) to commemorate the 200 year anniversary of the "Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde" in Vienna. Mr. Harnoncourt conducts, according to the textbook and some online research that I did, a massively expanded Concentus Musicus Wien, the Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna and soloists Roberta Invernizzi, Werner Gura and Gerald Finley.

This well-documented and handsomely presented set is well worth considering. Harnoncourt led the way in ‘authentic’ Bach performances, and in some respects – the slow minuets and the somewhat portentous introductions, for instance – these Sixties recordings differ from more recent practice. But no matter, since the approach is full of life, and the balance allows details to be heard clearly and naturally. The fugal sections are particularly successful.

Harnoncourt hat mit dieser wunderbaren Aufnahme etwas nicht nur Ergreifendes, sondern auch ganz Wunderbares geschaffen. Die Johannes-Passion, die ja viel dramatischer ist als die vier Jahre später entstandene Matthäus-Passion, interpretiert er so packend und mitreißend, dass einem besonders bei den "Turbae"-Chören eine Gänsehaut über den Rücken läuft.

This zippy ballet is early Beethoven–the only work of its type that he ever wrote. It dates from the same time as the First Symphony, which is around 1800, and is noteworthy in two other respects: it's the only piece of orchestral music that Beethoven ever wrote that uses a harp (I know–big deal–but from such trivia are music snobs made. Go intimidate your friends!), and he uses a tune that later becomes the main theme of the finale of the Third Symphony, and consequently the subject of the Eroica Variations for piano solo. Nikolaus Harnoncourt is great with music of this sort, investing it with uncommon urgency and making it sound suitably grand.

This delightful "dramma eroicomico" ("heroic-comic drama"–-a made-up phrase brimming with irony) tells the story of the noble knight Orlando, who goes mad being torn between duty and love, his love, Angelica, who actually wants Medoro, and Alcina, an evil sorceress out to get Orlando, and turns it into a type of farce, with great results. There is some lovely music, mostly for Angelica and Medoro, but most of it is fun and light, with characters whistling, trying to impress people with how well they sing, etc. The scoring wittily underlines their foibles.

Come his last mass to be written in Salzburg, Mozart had an ulterior purpose: to annoy the Prince-Archbishop. Einstein highlights the Gloria. It features an extended "Amen". Its prolongation was designed to inflame the cleric who was no fan of florid church-music. Mention should also be made of the Kyrie with its droll interjections - penitential this ain't. The motif that Mozart uses to unify the Credo is a pale imitation of its counterpart in the Coronation Mass. The Salzburger is back to best form with the fugal Benedictus in A Minor; similarly, he later cannibalised the Agnus Dei when he came to write Figaro. Two other works feature on this disc. Note-spinning predominates in the Litany, K 125; it's sole redeeming feature is the high-spirited Kyrie which only Mozart could have written.

Harnoncourt offers us two wonderful religious works of the great Mozart: Missa K. 257 and Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento K. 243. Works of great musical beauty where the Arnold Schoenber Choir gives us an excellent interpretation. The soloists, especially the soprano Angela Maria Blasi, magnificent.

This was, at one time, the most popular piece of music that Haydn composed. It was originally written as a series of eight slow movements (an introduction, then the seven "words") and a final "earthquake" designed to be performed in a Spanish church during Holy Week. So famous did the music become that some hack made a vocal version of the work, which Haydn felt he could do much better himself. So he created this oratorio, as well as making (or approving) arrangements for string quartet and solo piano! For the vocal version, he divided the work into two parts and added a stunning introduction to the second part for wind band alone.

Gidon Kremer and Harnoncourt imbue the Violin Concerto with intellectual strength and Romantic warmth.

Harnoncourt regards the last three symphonies as one whole work, which he calls Mozart’s ‘Instrumental Oratorium’. Sony Classical present Harnoncourt’s final recording of these works, with a fascinating new interpretation. In terms of structure, he argues that the first movement of the Symphony No. 39 is the Prelude of the ‘Instrumental Oratorium’, whilst the last movement of the Symphony No. 41 is the Finale. He points out that the Symphony No. 39 has no real ending, whilst the Symphony No. 40 has no real beginning, and only the Symphony No. 41 has a Finale. There are a number of factors which Harnoncourt points to as further proof of his new interpretation – musical themes.