A Mozart library limited to Five discs

[Gurn Blanston]

Not on my list (cf., Haskil & Grumiaux).


That said, I too have followed the responses and they only serve to reinforce the statement I made in my post: nope. Sorry. Can't be done. Not in five discs, anyway.

BTW, a reconsideration of one of my choices--the EKN--is prompting me to start a separate thread. Posters here, please check it out.

Dirk

Yup, my bad. And a good choice too.

My own preference was later mentioned by Que: Rivest /Breitman. The playing is superb, and the (period) instrument sound is excellent, no tinkling or scratching here, just honest, great music making.

I also have Perlman/Barenboim (very nice, modern styling though), Szeryng/Haebler (good playing, rather muddy sound to MY ears), and dozens of singles. One that stands out is Schiff/Shiokawa playing Mozart's own instruments from the Mozarteum. This is a nice disk, albeit hard to find.

[dirkronk]

Yup, my bad. And a good choice too.

My own preference was later mentioned by Que: Rivest /Breitman. The playing is superb, and the (period) instrument sound is excellent, no tinkling or scratching here, just honest, great music making.

I also have Perlman/Barenboim (very nice, modern styling though), Szeryng/Haebler (good playing, rather muddy sound to MY ears), and dozens of singles. One that stands out is Schiff/Shiokawa playing Mozart's own instruments from the Mozarteum. This is a nice disk, albeit hard to find.

Wouldn't mind hearing the Schiff/Shiokawa. While the Grumiaux/Haskil is an all-time fave, Grumiaux's later recording with Walter Klien is also gorgeous and better recorded. Also notable: the even older--and classic--Szymon Goldberg/Lili Kraus collaboration on assorted WAM sonatas. I recently got some by Kagan/S. Richter as well, plus a live performance of a couple by Manze/Egarr, but haven't listened carefully to these or compared them to the ones listed earlier.

FWIW,

Dirk

[hornteacher]

Well, dear me. I guess I need to supplement the Bohm with something a bit snappier.

Not necessarily.  You should listen to what you like.  Your opinion is just as valid as anyone else's.

[mn dave]

Not necessarily.  You should listen to what you like.  Your opinion is just as valid as anyone else's.

Oh, I know. I just wanted to compare them. Thanks.

[Bunny]

I'm shocked that  no one put the Divertimento K563 on the list!  Any 5 cd collection of Mozart should include this - either HIP (L'Archibudelli available from Arkiv on demand) or modern instrument (Trio Pasquier on LP or Yo-Yo Ma, Kim Kashkashian and Gidon Kremer on cd).  It's Mozart's most perfect piece of chamber music.

[Gurn Blanston]

I'm shocked that  no one put the Divertimento K563 on the list!  Any 5 cd collection of Mozart should include this - either HIP (L'Archibudelli available from Arkiv on demand) or modern instrument (Trio Pasquier on LP or Yo-Yo Ma, Kim Kashkashian and Gidon Kremer on cd).  It's Mozart's most perfect piece of chamber music.

Indeed, I indicated my own shock, and also rec'd the L'Archibudelli.

Yes, of course that's true. It was damned difficult to leave out so many favorites. And note also that that one symphony and one PC disks were my only orchestral recs at all just because of the fact that so much else gets overlooked that shouldn't be. Even at that, we have only scratched the surface. I haven't seen a rec for the String Trio K 563 yet, for example, although OTTOMH, the Grumiaux Trio and L'Archibudelli are world beaters and only 2 of a dozen or so in that class...   Violin sonatas are untouched as of yet too, and they include some of his finest sonatas with some great renditions out there...

Just so much outstanding music, and really a lot of good performances. I can't pick even 5 works, let alone 5 premiere quality performances.



----------------
Listening to:
London SO \ Maag - Intermezzo, op.61 no.5

[Bulldog]

I'm shocked that  no one put the Divertimento K563 on the list!  Any 5 cd collection of Mozart should include this - either HIP (L'Archibudelli available from Arkiv on demand) or modern instrument (Trio Pasquier on LP or Yo-Yo Ma, Kim Kashkashian and Gidon Kremer on cd).  It's Mozart's most perfect piece of chamber music.

Perhaps, but the only Mozart chamber work I'd consider in the 5 cd collection is the clarinet quintet.  After considering it, I left that out also.

[adamdavid80]

Perhaps, but the only Mozart chamber work I'd consider in the 5 cd collection is the clarinet quintet.  After considering it, I left that out also.

But this dilemma is exactly where strategy in the "5 discs" idea can really come into play: with the Frost or Stolzman Clarinet Concerto, the Clarinet Quintet is also included. 

Btw, Don, what does the Leppard Mass do for you that the Fricsay or Marriner lacks?  I've got the Fricsay and it's fairly f***ing mindblowing...but from everything I've ever read from you, anything you recommned is absolutely worth consideration.  Care to educate the great unwashed masses (errrr........no pun intended)?

[Bunny]

Perhaps, but the only Mozart chamber work I'd consider in the 5 cd collection is the clarinet quintet.  After considering it, I left that out also.

I have the quintet with the concerto, and if I am limited to 5 discs they will be compilations in a format like FLAC or ALAC on a bluray disc (25 gigs apiece, hehe) that I would make up with as many of my favorites as possible.  You can get a heck of a lot onto 5 bds.

[Bulldog]

Btw, Don, what does the Leppard Mass do for you that the Fricsay or Marriner lacks?  I've got the Fricsay and it's fairly f***ing mindblowing...but from everything I've ever read from you, anything you recommned is absolutely worth consideration.  Care to educate the great unwashed masses (errrr........no pun intended)?

Both conductors have wonderful sopranos, but I much prefer Leppard to Fricsay.  For me, Leppard's pacing and majesty are just about perfect; Fricsay can go limp at times, and his tempos are a little stodgy.  However, it isn't really a matter of Fricsay not being worthy - he is.  But the Leppard is on my 10 most treasured recordings list.

[Bulldog]

I have the quintet with the concerto, and if I am limited to 5 discs they will be compilations in a format like FLAC or ALAC on a bluray disc (25 gigs apiece, hehe) that I would make up with as many of my favorites as possible.  You can get a heck of a lot onto 5 bds.

Sounds like you're going to break the rules; I will appeal to a higher authority.  Any idea who that is?

[Bunny]

Sounds like you're going to break the rules; I will appeal to a higher authority.  Any idea who that is?

That's not breaking the rules, just thinking outside the box! 

[adamdavid80]

Both conductors have wonderful sopranos, but I much prefer Leppard to Fricsay.  For me, Leppard's pacing and majesty are just about perfect; Fricsay can go limp at times, and his tempos are a little stodgy.  However, it isn't really a matter of Fricsay not being worthy - he is.  But the Leppard is on my 10 most treasured recordings list.

And, of course, this brings about the next question...what are your other nine?

[Que]

And, of course, this brings about the next question...what are your other nine?

Are those the new rules for this thread?

Ten recordings? For each work?

Q

[adamdavid80]

Are those the new rules for this thread?

Ten recordings? For each work?

Q

EEk!  Nononono!!!  I was asking don about his other nine all-time fave most treasured recordings... I should have put it in a PM, I guess!!!

Sounds like you're going to break the rules; I will appeal to a higher authority.  Any idea who that is?

Well, I started this here thread...   

[Bulldog]

And, of course, this brings about the next question...what are your other nine?

Just off the top of my head:

Well-Tempered Clavier/Tureck/DG
Magic Flute/Klemperer/EMI
Goldberg Variations - Schiff/ECM, Hantai/Mirare, Tureck/DG
Shostakovich - Op. 87 Preludes and Fugues/Nikolayeva/Melodiya
Shostakovich/Scriabin - Preludes/Deyanova/Nimbus
Schumann's Sym. Etudes and Kreisleriana/Burkard/Bayer
Shostakovich Syms./Kondrashin/Melodiya
Mahler 5th/Sinopoli/DG
Chopin Preludes/Bolet/Philips GPOC

[Moldyoldie]

My five favorite Mozart CDs from a comparatively modest collection:

Symphony No. 40 G minor, K.550;   Basset Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622;   Serenade in G "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", K.525
Hanover Band
Roy Goodman, cond.
NIMBUS

Serenade in G "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", K.525;    Serenade No. 9 in D "Posthorn Serenade", K.320
Prague Chamber Orchestra
Sir Charles Mackerras, cond.
TELARC

Serenade No. 6 in D major, K.239 "Serenata Notturna";    Serenade No. 7 in D major "Haffner Serenade", K.250
Prague Chamber Orchestra
Sir Charles Mackerras, cond.
TELARC

Symphony No. 31 in D major, K.297 "Paris";   Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K.550;   Symphony No.41 in C major, K.551 "Jupiter"
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Karl Böhm, cond.
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON

Symphony No. 36 in C Major, K.425 "Linz";   Symphony No 38 in D Major, K.504 "Prague"
Prague Chamber Orchestra
Sir Charles Mackerras, cond.
TELARC

[mozartsneighbor]

This makes my brain hurt, but here goes:
1. Piano Concertos 20 and 27, Clifford Curzon, ECO, Britten
2. Clarinet Quintet and String Quintet k.516, Talich Quartet et al.
3. Don Giovanni, Krips et al. (Decca)
4. Choral works selection: Ave Verum, Exsultate Jubilate, Vesperae Solennes, etc -- Kiri te Kanawa, Sir Colin Davis, et al.
5. Symphonies # 38 & 39, Concertgebouw, Harnoncourt

[Herman]

I think Mozart, more than any other composer, benefits from multiple versions  -  or rather the listener is the beneficiary.

So for the string Quartets I'd have both the Amadeus Qt (preferably in both the mono in the stereo versions), and the Italiano, and (a recent) discovery the Peterson Qt. Pressed for one single Qt disc I might even opt for the Peterson Qt, who have managed to squeeze all three Prussian Qts on one Cappriccio disc.

I'd take the augmented Grumiaux Trio for the String Quintets, even though they're a tad too sugary

For the Piano Concertos' I'd take a romantic interp like Uchida's and contrast these with Anda and Casadesus

I'd take Gardiners Nozze, but also Abbado's, if only for the ample VPO sound

I'd definitely would want the Dutch Wind Ensemble in the Gran Partita, both the old and the new recording

Lately I've been rather interested in the piano and the piano/violin sonatas, but I believe I'm way over the budget already.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I'd take the augmented Grumiaux Trio for the String Quintets, even though they're a tad too sugary

If you find the Grumiaux too sugary a good alternative might be the Griller Quartet w/Primrose on Vanguard (OOP, however). Highly nuanced, probing, and not too sentimentalized.