Mozart

[mc ukrneal]

Greetings. I am a long time lurker (since 2007) and I occasionally post, but not much, obviously. Anyways, I felt the need to make a cameo in the Mozart thread because I really feel that after so many years, Wolfie is finally cementing himself into the number three top spot, behind Bach and Beethoven, as my favorite composer.

About a week ago I had a sudden urge to go through my all too miniscule Mozart CD collection and listen through again. The results have really moved me deeply, going as far to say that I had a Maslow-like Peak Experience while listening to the Clarinet Concerto while taking a star lit walk in the late evening winter dark, traversing through a then closed golf course, decorated by many diverse trees, seen only in silhouette. Gazing up into the clear starry night, the sublime adagio unfolded its glowing, serene majesty and I nearly wanted to fall to my knees in a quasi-religious ecstacy.

This all may sound hyperbolic or at worst pretentious, but this is the how and why I listen to music to begin with - to be deeply moved. It's not unusual for me to shed a few tears at a live performance of a beloved work, even if it's not an amazing performance. To move beyond the fantastic and the absurd, describing why I have now fallen deeply for Mozart's work is a task for a non-musician, without an array of technical terms at my disposal, but I'll give it a try.

His melodies are on the surface simple, but as a joyful childlike playfulness, but sometimes allows for darker shades of grey, and occasionally explode in proud triumph, with total confidence and assurance. This music is above all a celebration of being alive. While the main melodic line tends to be simple, it is decorated by wonderful shades and subtle variety in the supporting lines. Example: movement #2 in the PC #21 would seem like one long repetition of a theme to an inattentive listener, but for me it is wound in a calmly flowing support of variety - different melodies, different instrumental colorings. Saying all this doesn't even begin to describe the deep beauty at work.

When something moves us like this, it is truly a wonderful thing. It's like the world shakes.

[Que]

A true appreciation for Mozart came with age for me as well, and through period performances.

Q

[Roberto]

A true appreciation for Mozart came with age for me as well, and through period performances.

Mozart needed period performance for me too.

[The new erato]

If one cannot appreciate the genius that lies in simplicity, one cannot apprecaiate Mozart. For many of us, that comes wuth maturity. I'm putting on the Gran Partita now, a strong candidate for my favorite Mozart work.

[Brahmsian]

If one cannot appreciate the genius that lies in simplicity, one cannot apprecaiate Mozart. For many of us, that comes wuth maturity. I'm putting on the Gran Partita now, a strong candidate for my favorite Mozart work.

It has long been my favorite Mozart work, even though there are many other close candidates.

Surprising, as I am generally more of a strings guy, than a woods/brass guy.   

[Karl Henning]

Well, and even this woodwind player is a pushover for the viola quintets.

[Gurn Blanston]

If one cannot appreciate the genius that lies in simplicity, one cannot apprecaiate Mozart. For many of us, that comes wuth maturity. I'm putting on the Gran Partita now, a strong candidate for my favorite Mozart work.

In the 'small world' category; I was listening to that when I read this! Herreweghe, in my case. What a superb little work to show off Mozart's talents! 

[Brahmsian]

In the 'small world' category; I was listening to that when I read this! Herreweghe, in my case. What a superb little work to show off Mozart's talents! 

Not that little, though.  It is one of (if not the) longest Mozart purely instrumental works. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Not that little, though.  It is one of (if not the) longest Mozart purely instrumental works. 

Seems too short... 

[The new erato]

Hogwood on Decca here. And I was close to mentioning the viola quintets, as well as some piano concertoes and a couple of the late quartets, as other cadidates,

[Brahmsian]

Seems too short... 

Agreed! 

[Roberto]

If one cannot appreciate the genius that lies in simplicity, one cannot apprecaiate Mozart.

I don't know... For me Mozart's music is not simple but rich. Contemporaries of him sometimes said his music is too difficult and freakish. "There are too many notes in it".

I'm putting on the Gran Partita now, a strong candidate for my favorite Mozart work.

I was at the Concerto Budapest's concert two weeks ago. It was a Mozart-John Cage evening and they performed the g minor wing serenade too. I think it was fabulous. But for me the most interesting was the "Musikalisches Würfelspiel" (musical dice game). 4 listeners played with dice and at the end (when every bars was complete) Gábor Csalog pianist played the newly composed Mozart minuet.

[Brahmsian]

You have all planted the seed.....listening to:

Mozart

Gran Partita Serenade for Winds in B flat major, K.361

Sir Neville Marriner
Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields

Philips

[asin]B0000501PF[/asin]

[LVB_opus.125]

I'm with you.  And Mozart's Clarinet Concerto is as sublime as it gets.  What a fantastic, great late work of his.

Have you heard the Great Mass in C minor?  Or the Gran Partita Serenade?

Yes on the Mass, I have heard Gardiner and "New version by Robert Levin." I actually didn't notice that this was a "complete" version when I bought it. I find the idea of finishing other artist's works to be beyond arrogant and a huge distraction in the listening process. What Mozart wrote, of course, is beyond wonderful. I'll put the Gran Partita to the top of my list for next works to hear. Thanks!

[LVB_opus.125]

When something moves us like this, it is truly a wonderful thing. It's like the world shakes.

Indeed. This is what is so hard for me to communicate to folks in "real life" and have them understand when that even means or feels like. I can't imagine being happy in life without music.

[Eli]

Is Mozart's piano quartet in g minor (k. 478) the greatest thing ever made, before the invention of sliced bread?

[Gurn Blanston]

Is Mozart's piano quartet in g minor (k. 478) the greatest thing ever made, before the invention of sliced bread?

Hello, Eli. ¡Cuánto tiempo sin verte!



Yes, that is a hard piece to surpass. Brilliant on all counts.

[Brahmsian]

Over the last few days:

Mozart

Symphony No. 36 in C major, K.425 "Linz"  (1966)
Symphony No. 38 in D major, K.504 "Prague" (1960)
Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K.543 (1966)

Bohm
Berlin Philharmonic

Symphony No. 38 in D major, K.504 "Prague"
Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K.543

Pinnock
The English Concert
DG

Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K.216
Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K.218
Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K.219

Kremer, violin

Wiener Philharmoniker
Harnoncourt

All top-shelf Mozart, and great performances all-around, especially the Pinnock symphonies and with Kremer for the VCs. 

[Karl Henning]

Aye, indeed, I am an unreconstructed Kremer fan! 

[Brahmsian]

Oh thou Wolfgang....I have missed you! 

And when I miss you....more often than not, I turn to your final ten string quartets, from this magnificent set:

Listening to disc 2:

String Quartet No. 15 in D minor
String Quartet No. 16 in E flat major
String Quartet No. 20 in D major, K.499 "Hoffmeister"   paging Karl Henning!!! 

[asin]B000024MCP[/asin]