Where to start with Mozart

[Waitaminuet]

Following a warm welcome and helpful responses to my request for assistance with recordings of Beethoven's 3rd & 6th I'm back again looking for further advice

Mozart is one of my favourite composers;but the only recordings I have are compilations - everyone has to start somewhere!

I would welcome members' suggestions - works and / or specific recordings - to start me off

Regards

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Mozart's best of the best w/ recordings:

Operas (Fricsay)
Piano concertos (Schiff/Vegh)
String quartets dedicated to Haydn (Quatuor Mosaïques)
String quintets (Talich)
Clarinet quintet (Oxalys)

There are others but this should get you started.

[HIPster]

One of my favorites and a CD I will always recommend:

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Can't beat the price via the Amazon Marketplace!

[mszczuj]

Rene Jacobs Symphonies, Jos van Immerseel Piano Concertos, String Quintets.

[knight66]

I also endorse the Oboe and the Claranet concertos, (there was one of each).

Don Giovanni, Giulini's version is long in the tooth, but still terrific.

Mass in C, Hogwood, basically an unfinished masterpiece. But what is there is marvelous.

Concert Arias, Janowitz or Kiri te Kanawa.

Piano concertos no 21 and 27.

Mike

[Geo Dude]

Let me say that I sympathize with your situation; Mozart's output is vast and it can be hard to figure out where to start.  Hopefully you'll like some of my recommendations.  Please note, though, that everything I recommend will be period instrument recordings unless otherwise noted because that's what I like.

People new to a composer often want to start with symphonies and this set by Mackerras is an excellent way to do that:

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A ten disc box set of his complete symphonies may seem like biting off more than you can chew, but given that it is priced roughly the equivalent of a single full-price disc you won't be doing yourself any harm if you buy that and stick to the late symphonies until you're ready to explore the earlier.  I also think this is a great recommendation because Mackerras employs an HIP-influenced style of conducting and a chamber orchestra but uses modern instruments, so it won't necessarily give you the start that period instruments would if you're not used to hearing them.  Highly recommended.

Speaking of his orchestral music, you should have a copy of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik on hand and this one (and everything else on the program) are great:

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Continuing in that vein, you should have a few piano concertos on hand.  Others can probably recommend you a favorite box set but I would start here:

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It also can't hurt to have his final three violin concertos on hand; none of these are top-shelf best-of-the-best Mozart but they're charming and enjoyable.

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The clarinet and oboe concertos are also worth giving a listen to, as someone noted earlier, and this recording is very cheap when purchased used:

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Moving onto his chamber music, I strongly, strongly suggest this collection of his works for winds.  It is nothing short of utterly delightful.

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This recording with the clarinet quintet and the Kegelstatt Trio (viola, piano, clarinet) also comes highly recommended.  It's a wonderful 'end of a hard day' recording that rewards serious listening and features material you probably won't find on a compilation disc.

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The piano quartets are also great.

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You should also have some of his solo piano music on hand; I could happily recommend you Brautigam's set of complete piano sonatas and variations, but in the interest of trying to keep the price down I'll recommend that you start with this:

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His violin sonatas are also great works and this disc is my personal favorite so far:

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If you must have them on modern instruments this disc is wonderful.

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This disc of duo sonatas by Rachel Podger and Joan Rodgers is also quite nice, though I should note that it pairs works by Michael Haydn (the famous Haydn's brother) with Mozart.

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His string quartets are also important, in particular the Haydn Quartets, but period instrument versions are hard to find and modern instrument versions are not my area of expertise so I will let others comment on that.  I will only say one thing, and I rarely do this kind of thing, but I do not think you should get the Emerson recording of his quartets.  I've tried to listen to it several times and it wrongly made me believe that I hated Mozart in the past.

I wish you luck with your purchases.  Make sure to get back to us and tells us what you think!

[Geo Dude]

Thank you for the compliment, and you are of course right that I left out opera...choral works, too, I would also say!  I meant to leave a note at the end requesting that others deal with the vocal works in Mozart's output but forgot to.  I'm glad that you took care of a large part of the job.

[TheGSMoeller]

Don't forget this Mozart/Jacobs magic...


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[Que]

Some threads to read up on:

Mozart's Piano Sonatas

Mozart's String Quartets and Quintets.

Mozart's Requiem K. 626

Mozart's Great Mass in C minor, K.427

Mozart Piano Concertos

Mozart Symphonies

Mozart: String Duos, Trios, & Quintets

Mozart Violin Sonatas

Collecting Mozart


Have fun...

Q

[Karl Henning]

If you enjoy opera on DVD (half of the opera I consume, is via DVD, YMMV) you might consider these (very different, but both delightful) versions of Die Zauberflöte:

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[Octave]

"From the director of THOR..."
Poor guy.  "Hey, I gotta eat!"

[Karl Henning]

Just noticed that, and in a peculiar way, that's got me curious to watch Thor . . . .

Separately:  Although it's a matter of watching patches, evening by evening, I've been taking in Phil Grabsky's wonderful In Search of Mozart.

[bigshot]

This is my absolute favorite classical CD (and I have thousands of them)... Mozart Piano Concerto 6, 17 and 21 by Geza Anda

http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano-Concertos-Nos-Géza/dp/B000001GQO/

[TheGSMoeller]

If you enjoy opera on DVD (half of the opera I consume, is via DVD, YMMV) you might consider these (very different, but both delightful) versions of Die Zauberflöte:

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My favorite film/opera. First, Bergman is a genius, and second, Sven Nykvist is a genius. I love the choice of showing the performers backstage between acts, smoking, playing cards, being themselves.

[huntsman]

Wonderful replies and thanks to the OP for starting what is already a fine thread!

[dave b]

Mozart Horn Concertos---Dennis Brain, Horn. This was my introduction to Mozart, many years ago.
=======================================================
Mozart: Horn Concertos Nos. 1-4 / Quintet, K.452 ~ Brain [Original recording remastered]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), Philharmonia Orchestra of London (Orchestra), Dennis Brain Wind Ensemble (Performer), Colin Horsley (Performer), Dennis Brain (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

[bigshot]

Dennis Brain's Mozart belongs in everyone's collection. Those recordings are solid gold.

[dave b]

Absolutely....

[Sean]

The piano concertos are some of his richest and most sophisticated music; the late string quartets and the six string quintets are likewise inexhaustible. Best, Sean

[jeffnc]

These 2 symphonies are not as popular as 40 and 41 for some reason, but I love them.  Both were featured in the movie Amadeus, especially 29.  I think this is a special disc.
http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Symphonies-Nos-25-Clarinet-Concerto/dp/B000001GC5/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1371340334&sr=1-3&keywords=mozart+symphony+29

Speaking of the movie, you couldn't go wrong by getting the soundtrack
http://www.amazon.com/Amadeus-Complete-Original-Soundtrack-Recording/dp/B000000XBV

Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, of course.

Some opera highlights if you like opera, and without boring you with the entire thing.  I haven't heard this recording, but you get the idea.
http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Opera-Highlights-Multi/dp/B000001VRW/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1371340584&sr=1-1&keywords=mozart+opera+highlights

I'm sure you've heard track 7, but of course you can get it on any disc with the piano sonata 11.
http://www.amazon.com/Son-Pno-Vol-W-Mozart/dp/B0000013NK/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1371340810&sr=1-2&keywords=mozart+piano+sonata+11