Search - Mozart, Furtwangler, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; :: Furtwängler Conducts Mozart

Old-Fashioned Mozart

T. Beers | Arlington, Virginia United States | 01/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The two piano concertos are finally presented in honest transfers of actual transcription discs; previous Lp and CD editions have substituted other performances - or parts of other performances - and palmed off the result as Badura-Skoda/Furtwaengler! The real thing turns out to be fascinating, albeit romanticized in ways that will really annoy today's period instruments crowd. The real down side is the sound quality, which is truly wretched. That's disc One. Disc Two is a different story altogether, presenting two classic Furtwaengler/Vienna Philharmonic studio recordings (originally produced by EMI) in absolutely gorgeous transfers courtesy of M&A's great engineer Maggi Payne. This second disc is worth the price of the entire set, don't doubt it ..... The g minor symphony is played with great passion, but also with exquisite attention to orchestral balances and articulation. Its companion is a very rare Furtwaengler recording of the great Serenade for 13 Wind instruments. This may be nineteenth century Mozart, but it's so luscious I dare anybody to resist!"