Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonia Brico, Bruno Walter :: Mozart: Overtures; Divertimento, K. 131; Symphony No. 28

Mozart: Overtures; Divertimento, K. 131; Symphony No. 28
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonia Brico, Bruno Walter
Mozart: Overtures; Divertimento, K. 131; Symphony No. 28
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (15) - Disc #1

This entertaining disc offers all of Mozart's major overtures in performances that cover a wide range of interpretation, from the hyperprecise Szell to the warmth of Bruno Walter. The younger generation is represented by T...  more »

     
?

Larger Image

CD Details


Synopsis

Amazon.com essential recording
This entertaining disc offers all of Mozart's major overtures in performances that cover a wide range of interpretation, from the hyperprecise Szell to the warmth of Bruno Walter. The younger generation is represented by Thomas Schippers, and also by Antonia Brico, one of the first female conductors to make an international reputation for herself. The addition of an early divertimento conducted by Szell is an added attraction--he was peerless in this music--and you also get Philippe Entremont's Viennese version of Symphony No. 29. At budget price, this disc offers some essential Mozart in a way that really does highlight both his range as a composer and the variety of legitimate approaches to his music. A very well-put-together collection. --David Hurwitz

Similarly Requested CDs

 

CD Reviews

Szell and Schippers are top-notch!
R. Kunath | Illinois, USA | 02/29/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)

"The CD as a whole is a bit of a mixed bag. Nothing is bad, but the performances by Brico, Entremont, and even Bruno Walter don't strike me as revelatory. But Thomas Schippers' "Marriage of Figaro" overture is wonderful: taut, powerful, and expressive. And the Szell performances are just miraculous: I'm a great admirer of Szell, but not all of his Mozart strikes me as essential. But these two off-the-beaten-path works by Mozart called forth something special in Szell and his remarkable orchestra. Szell's recording of the overture to "The Impresario" is my nominee for the single greatest performance of a Mozart overture, period. If I were a Penguin Guide reviewer, I'd be giving it a double rosette (with the caution that this is a personal mark of esteem, and, alas, it may not seem as miraculous to you--but then again, maybe it will). For me, as I told a friend, Szell's "Impresario" is "the perfect fusion of precision and poetry." I first discovered this performance as a 14-year-old on the old Columbia "Spectacular Cleveland Orchestra" LP set, and it riveted me then. The Divertimento is also an extraordinary performance: this performance smiles more than any Szell Mozart recording that I know, and when you combine Szell's affection, finesse, and sheer style with the Cleveland Orchestra at its unapproachable height, you've got something well worth double the asking price, even if the other recordings don't match Szell and Schippers."
Why look anywhere else?
David | 01/24/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't understand why anyone looking for a recording of the overtures to Mozart's major operas would look anywhere else! These performances are fresh and lively, and worthy of any collection."
K. 131 is worth twice the price of the CD
John | Iowa, USA | 08/06/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)

"While I agree that all performances here are at least acceptable, I agree with some other reviewers that the Szell and Schippers performances are superlative. There are other wonderful performances of many of these works. For me it is the Divertimento, K. 131 that is the real "find" here. First of all, this is a very rarely-performed work, and is even more rarely recorded. I wore out at least two copies of the vinyl version of this performance, over probably 30 years of listening. This is both Mozart and Szell at their best--and the Cleveland soloists, including Myron Bloom at his prime, are simply spectacular. EVERY nuance is explored with cogent coherence and exquisite musicianship. This is a MUST HAVE for everyone who loves Mozart! I have rated it only a "4" because some of the performances just miss being "the best." Otherwise, if only for the K. 131, it would be a 5+."