Collecting Mozart

[MN Dave]

Can we do this with Mozart now? I won't start too many of these at once, but there are several others I'll start at a later date, if nobody minds.

I know this is hard for some of you to fathom, but if someone wanted a balanced, satisfying collection of Beethoven without too many multiple recordings—no more than two or three of each work—and not including unessential works, what would you recommend as a solid collection of in-print recordings? Please include any tips on accumulating them.

I'm curious to see what you come up with.

Thank you.

[Mark]

I'll start by suggesting this for Mozart's Serenades Nos. 10 'Gran Partita' & 12 'Nacht Musique':

[ChamberNut]

Serenades & Divertimenti for Strings and Winds - Marriner - ASMF - Philips label (from the Complete Mozart Philips Edition)

Piano Trios - Beaux Arts Trio - Philips label


I'll be interested in seeing the recommendations for Mozart's complete string quartets, quintets.  I want these in my collection soon. 

[ChamberNut]

I'll start by suggesting this for Mozart's Serenades Nos. 10 'Gran Partita' & 12 'Nacht Musique':

Mark, isn't the Gran Partita Serenade absolutely wonderful? What a joy to listen to! 

[Mark]

Mark, isn't the Gran Partita Serenade absolutely wonderful? What a joy to listen to! 

It is indeed wonderful. I first heard it on the Naxos recording about five years ago, and fell in love with it from the start. Actually, it was while listening to the Romance from this work (rather appropriately) that I first realised I was in love with the woman who is now my wife.

Everybody go, 'Aaaaah!'

[MN Dave]

Remember to post a whole collection here, please. Thanks.

[BorisG]

Symphonies, Divertimenti & Serenades - Karajan (DG)
Piano Concertos - Casadesus
Violin Concertos - Oistrakh (EMI)
Piano Sonatas - Pires (Brilliant Classics)
Violin Sonatas - Zimmermann/Lonquich
String Quartets - Smetana Qt.
String Quintets - Talich

[MN Dave]

Thank you, Boris.

No operas? 

[Mozart]

Operas
Figaro Jacobs
Don Giovanni Giulini
Cosi Fan Jacobs
Enfuhrung Bohm
Flute see it live or Marriner

Requiem hmmm I have like 20...its to hard to pick 1 2 3 even half...

[BorisG]

Thank you, Boris.

No operas? 

Figaro - Bohm DG/1968, and Jacobs
Don Giovanni - Karajan DG/1985
Cosi - Jacobs

The Jacobs "Don", not surprisingly, seems undernourished.

[Gurn Blanston]

I prefer to make a list of performances by people who are, in the main, still alive.

Solo fortepiano music - Ronald Brautigam
Fortepiano concerti - Either Bilson/Gardiner  or Anima Eterna/Immerseel
Sonatas for fortepiano & violin - Rivest/Breitman
Symphonies - Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwood
Last 10 String Quartets - Quartett Mosaiques
Wind serenades and divertimenti - Soloists of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Harnoncourt
Horn Concerti - Tafelmusik / Ab Koster
String Quintets K 515-516 - L'Archibudelli
Complete String Quintets - Griller Quartet (actually non-HIP, but damned good!)
Le Nozze di Figaro Concerto Köln / Rene Jacobs
Violin Concertos - Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Huggett
String Trio K 563 / Adagios & Fugues for String Trio - L'Archibudelli
Clarinet works - L'Archibudelli/Neidich

This will do for a start, MD. Come back when you're ready for more! 



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Now playing:
Haydn Symphonies 41 - 43 Tafelmusik - Tafelmusik / Bruno Weil - Hob 01 043 Symphony #43 in Eb 2nd mvmt - Adagio

[MN Dave]

Thank you, Gurn. This thread (and the Beethoven one) is more my wanting to know what peoples' basic set is--not recommendations for me personally. But I will consider these carefully in case I get the urge to splurge.

[Gurn Blanston]

Thank you, Gurn. This thread (and the Beethoven one) is more my wanting to know what peoples' basic set is--not recommendations for me personally. But I will consider these carefully in case I get the urge to splurge.

Well, then my post served both purposes! It IS my basic set, and it is also a recommendation.



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Now playing:
Haydn Symphonies 45 - 47 - Tafelmusik / Bruno Weil - Hob. I: 047 Symphony in G 3rd mvmt - Menuet - Trio

[MN Dave]

Well, we have two or three Mozart collectors in this forum anyway. 

[Sergeant Rock]

Thank you, Gurn. This thread (and the Beethoven one) is more my wanting to know what peoples' basic set is--not recommendations for me personally. But I will consider these carefully in case I get the urge to splurge.

Ah...I misunderstood the reason for this thread. Now I know. I have multiple versions of all the major works and many of the minor ones, but I would consider this my basic set:

Symphonies 25-41: Szell/Cleveland and Klemperer/Philharmonia

Symphonies 1-41 (HIP): Pinnock/English Consort

Adagio and Fugue C minor K.546: Klemperer/Philharmonia

Piano Concertos: Szell/Cleveland/Casadesus

Piano Concertos (HIP): Gardiner/EB Soloists/Bilson

Violin Concertos: Mutter/LPO

Sinfonia Concertante: Szell/Cleveland/Druian/Skernick

Horn Concertos: Mackerras/Scottish CO/Ruske (I need a HIP set, any recommendations?)

Clarinet Concerto: Szell/Cleveland/Marcellus

String Quintets: Grumiaux Quintet

String Quartets: Alban Berg Quartet

Piano Sonatas: Gould, Barenboim

Violin Sonatas: Mutter/Orkis

Serenade Posthorn: Szell/Cleveland

Serenade Haffner: Weil/Tafelmusik

Serenade Gran Partita: Klemperer/London Wind

Cosi fan tutti: Lombard/Strasbourg/Te Kanawa/von Stade

Don Giovanni: Karajan/Berlin/Ramey/Battle/Baltsa

Don Giovanni (HIP): Jacobs/Freiburger Barock/Weisser/Regazzo/Sunhae Im

Le Nozze di Figaro: Solti/LPO/Ramey/von Stade/Popp

Die Zauberflöte: KlempererPhilharmonia/Popp/Janowitz/

Requiem: Harnoncourt/CMW

Mass in C minor: Neumann/Collegium Cartusian/Schlick/Pregardien


I don't consider Jacobs' Don Giovanni to be undernourished or lacking drama. He presents it as originally intended by Mozart, without the 19th century romantic baggage: as opera buffa. I think he succeeds brilliantly The Don is a spoiled brat, as sung by the very young Johannes Weisser, not a Faustian tragic hero. Mozart's original Don was also sung by a young man.

Sarge

[MN Dave]

Thanks for your contribution, Sarge. I appreciate the time you took to create it.

[M forever]

Also try the Don Giovanni by Arnold Östman and the Drottningholm Court Theater. t has the same virtues, highly articulated singing which emphasizes phrasing and text over "great singing". You can learn Italian by listening to this recording. I am not kidding. I did, I suddenly understood every word (based on having studied Latin in school). But the singing is great the way it is. This is an intimate and detailed drama. But when Don Giovanni goes to hell, he really does, very audibly. BTW, Hagegard as DG also sounds "young and wild", not "Faustian".

Don Giovanni: Karajan/Berlin/Ramey/Battle/Baltsa

Yougoddabekidding.

Horn Concertos: Mackerras/Scottish CO/Ruske (I need a HIP set, any recommendations?)

It's "horn concertos", not "trumpet concerts". Ruske sounds like a trumpet. For "HIP", try Koster/Tafelmusik/Weil. Koster is not as well know as he should be, he is a Dutch horn player who used to be principal of the NDR SO, a total monster (technically and musically) on both the natural and valve horn. With his NDR colleagues, he delivered the by far best reading of Schumann's Konzertstück I have ever heard in a live recording of unedited horn madness. He also made a great CD of Haydn works on the natural horn. There are also nice "HIP" recordings by Halstead/AAM/Hogwood and Baumann/CMW/Harnoncourt.

[MishaK]

Just a few alternate suggestions.

Piano Concertos: Barenboim/BPO - As I mentioned before, this is the one set where I feel the operatic nature of Mozart's writing in his concertos comes across best. The soloist-orchestra dialogue is just marvellous. Reduced modern band, but not overly big boned.

Violin Concertos: Grumiaux/Davis/LSO - Grumiaux's Mozart is simply natural, unmannered, unforced and completely engrossing. Absolutely top-notch fiddle playing.

Horn Concertos: Vlatkovic/ECO/Tate - Among modern valve-horn performances my first choice at the moment. Vlatkovic has a wonderful tone.

Clarinet Concerto: Meyer/BPO/Abbado

Piano Sonatas: Barenboim - Same as with his PCs, Barenboim just knows how to make Mozart's lines "sing". You hear echoes of other works of Mozart and start appreciating the context of his pianistic output.

Violin Sonatas: Hahn/Zhu - Not a complete set, but a joy from beginning to end.

Serenade Haffner: Abbado/BPO or Kubelik/BRSO - Either one is great fun. The soloists of these two bands are really excellent on these two recordings.

Le Nozze di Figaro: Solti/LPO/Ramey/von Stade/Popp - Still an unsurpassed cast. And Solti maintains a tight ensemble and keeps the action flowing.

Die Zauberflöte: Solti/VPO II (Heilmann/Moll/Jo/Ziesak) - In modern sound, this is the best IMHO. Best overall cast. Abbado has the better Tamino and his direction is more atmospheric, but overall I'd still give the nod to Solti's set.

Koster is not as well know as he should be, he is a Dutch horn player who used to be principal of the NDR SO, a total monster (technically and musically) on both the natural and valve horn. With his NDR colleagues, he delivered the by far best reading of Schumann's Konzertstück I have ever heard in a live recording of unedited horn madness.

Where might one find that?

[MN Dave]

Thanks, M and O.

[hornteacher]

For a modern version of the Horn Concertos, I'm partial to Barry Tuckwell's recordings with the Philharmonia.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=99974