Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields :: Mozart: Symphony Nos.25, 26, 27, 29 & 32

Brilliant, as usual

Ryan Richards | Midland, MI United States | 01/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I wish I could express how wonderfully Marriner always conducts Mozart. Suffice it to say that these symphonies are recorded both with the technical brilliance for which the ASMF is known, and an unusually large depth of sound from what is, after all, a chamber orchestra. There are so many special touches unique to this recording (such as the diminuendo to pianissimo at the end of the first movement of the 25th) that should not be missed. Note, too, the sense of spontaneity throughout: nowhere do these symphonies "plod along"; on the contrary, the ASMF obviously has every note down pat, and is playing for the sheer joy of it. This is an incredible album."

With Mozart, Marriner Is First--There Is No Second or Third

David R. Eastwood | Long Island, NY | 11/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Other than works by Vivaldi (of course), the first movement of Mozart's Symphony No. 25 in G Minor, titled Allegro con brio, is the most joyful piece of orchestral music I've ever heard. Thanks largely to the film AMADEUS, it is familiar to many who otherwise might not listen to or buy classical music. I have compared Neville Marriner's tempo and phrasing with those of at least a dozen other conductors, and the first nine notes tell it all: only Marriner's conducting of it gets a perfect "brio rating" of TEN! In fact, his conducting of ALL of Mozart's symphonies (some of them rather oddly constructed) is consistently excellent. If you ever have the chance to purchase Marriner's CD sets of the complete symphonies of Mozart, by all means do so. In the mean time, this collection of five will give you hundreds of hours of intense enjoyment."

Essential Mozart - crisp, lively and perfect

Joy Gatewood Fulton | Centreville, VA | 03/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was lucky to find this CD - the local independent book and music store helped me look up the best recording using The Penguin Companion to Classical Music. This CD was rated highly and so I bought it. Its one of the best classical music CDs that I own. The violins are crisp and clean, the pace is lively and never drags, and there are no errant noises (like coughing) in the background. The music puts a zip in your step and a smile on your face. Its the kind of CD that will make people ask who is that? Because they like it and haven't heard it. A lot of wonderful music for the money, and not a bad song in the bunch."