Mozart's Serenades and Divertimenti

[vers la flamme]

What are some recordings of Mozart's Serenades that you like?

Here are a few that come to mind:







In dire need of more...

[Florestan]

[Todd]

Yes.

[Jo498]

Wind serenades: K 361, 375, 388 Ensemble Zefiro or Harnoncourt

Haffner K 250, Posthorn K 320 Harnoncourt/Dresden or Brown/AoStMitF (Hänssler)

There are 3 or 4 more earlier similar large scale orchestral serenades (K 203, 204?), that are justifiedly eclipsed by the two mentioned above, Harnoncourt has done at least one of them.

(I don't count the string divertimento K 563)

K 251 Nannerl Septet Harnoncourt

Divertimento K 334 Vegh, or Marriner

If the Vegh box is still so cheap, get it; the single discs are probably also cheap to find separately.

[Mandryka]

What are some recordings of Mozart's Serenades that you like?

L'Archibudelli playing K 334. You may also like a set of two CDs by Zefiro with Gran Partita and some lovely transcriptions of Mozart operas for wind band, I think Mozart made them himself.

[vers la flamme]

Tempting, but that may be the ugliest cover for a boxed set I've ever seen.

[JBS]

L'Archibudelli playing K 334. You may also like a set of two CDs by Zefiro with Gran Partita and some lovely transcriptions of Mozart operas for wind band, I think Mozart made them himself.

The usual term for those is Harmoniemusik. They are quite nice, although I believe they all derive from our old friend Anonymous.

[Spotted Horses]

I have the Sandor Vegh set, it is nice, I'd put it above all of the traditional sets (Bohm, etc). Generally I would go for Harnoncourt.

One set I really love is this one:





It includes clarinet trios that Mozart apparently wrote for Masonic functions, which are simply miraculous.

[Biffo]

What are some recordings of Mozart's Serenades that you like?

Here are a few that come to mind:







In dire need of more...

If you enjoyed the Academy's recording of KV361 you might also like their 'Haffner' Serenade, KV250.

[Mandryka]

I had a listen today to Vegh play my favourite, K 334. It is outstanding, and the modern instruments make it the aural analogue of a comfortable chunky sweater, or a big snugly sofa. Such class! Such élan! Tremendous inspired incandescent playing. I thought to myself something which has never crossed my mind before - this Divertimento is as much a masterpiece as the Prague Symphony - I mean, it's top tier Mozart.


It made me hanker after a slice of apple strudel.

[staxomega]

Pretty sure Aer Lingus would play K287 while we were waiting to take off. The whole divertimenti and serenades would make for fine elevator music too.

[Jo498]

K 334 has two great slow movements, especially the variations in the minor. (Even this is IMO not quite as good as the slow movements of the earlier/contemporary K 271 and 364) But the first movement is rather lightweight (as fitting for a divertimento) and I think the final Rondo is too long. Also, the only fault of Vegh's recording might be that the horns are extremely polite/in the background. I have no longer another recording but I think Marriner brought the horns out better.

The serenades etc. usually contain some great music, other striking examples for me are the d minor andantino and the concertante movements in the "Posthorn" and the "violin concerto" in the Haffner and more. But there is also quite a bit of generic stuff and "stuffing" because many of them are fairly long works, 40+ min.

[MusicTurner]

- Vegh generally;
- Harnoncourt/Teldec is a superb 'Posthorn';
- the Brilliant Classics set is also surprisingly good.

[Olias]

I recently got this set and am enjoying it very much.