| Symphony no. 29 in A KV 201 | |||
| 1. | Allegro moderato " |
10'.25 | |
| 2. | Andante |
10'.06" | |
| 3. | Menuetto |
3'.12" | |
| 4. | Allegro con spirito |
6'.46" | |
| Serenade in D KV 239
"Serenata notturna" |
|||
| 5. | Marcia (Maestoso) |
4'.13" | |
| 6. | Menuetto |
3'.44" | |
| 7. | Rondo (Allegretto-Adagio-Allegro) |
4'.36" | |
| Symphony no. 5 in B-flat
KV 22 ("The Hague") |
|||
| 8. | Allegro |
2'.30" | |
| 9. | Andante |
2'.30" | |
| 10. | Allegro molto" |
1'.15 | |
| Serenade in G KV 525
"Eine kleine Nachtmusik" |
|||
| 11. | Allegro |
8'.00" | |
| 12. | Romance (Andante) |
5'.28" | |
| 13. | Menuetto (Allegretto) |
1'.52" | |
| 14. | Rondo (Allegro) | 5'.27" | |

| Mozart Symphonies Nos. 5 "The Hague" & 29 Sernade "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" Serenade notturna Concergebouw Chamber Orchestra Marco Boni PTC 5186 002 DSD recorded |
|
Mozarts early career was spent mostly on tour with his father, Leopold,
and sister, Nannerl. By the time they reached The Netherlands in late 1765,
Wolfgang had already conquered much of western Europe. Things did not get
off to a promising start when both children succumbed to typhoid fever. The
young genius was soon back on his feet again, however, composing among other
things a Symphony in B flat, K. 22, written especially for a concert at The
Hague on 22 January 1766. Scored for strings, two oboes and two horns, it
is a remarkable work for a nine-year-old, not merely because of its technical
expertise but the fact that such a young mind was capable of encompassing
the intensity of minor-key expression unleashed in both the first movements
development section and the central (G minor) Andante. The A major
Symphony, K. 201, composed just eight years later in 1774, is the first of
Mozarts symphonies to have achieved lasting popularity. Its proportions
are more expansive than any previous symphony by Mozart, and despite being
cast in a major key there is an underlying sense of agitation and unease that
occasionally breaks to the surface, as in the central development sections
of the first movement and finale. Three out of four movements are cast in
sonata form and even the minuet possesses a symphonic gravitas that sweeps
it away from the dance floor into the concert hall. The muted strings gently
suspend the poetics of the Andante in a magical halo of sound. Throughout
the eighteenth century there was an enormous demand for music especially commissioned
for specific social occasions or celebrations, whether inside or outdoors.
Much of the music Mozart composed for these functions is to be found in his
divertimentos, cassations and serenades, so-called to distinguish them from
symphonic or chamber works intended for the concert room or more intimate
surroundings. The Serenata notturna was composed for a Salzburg carnival in
1776, and is unusual not only for having just three movements but for featuring
a string orchestra without a tutti double-bass section as well as a prominent
part for timpani. The first two movements possess a symphonic nobility that
suggests this was a work for a more enlightened audience than was usual on
such occasions. However, Mozart lets his hair down for the finale, with a
series of colourful episodes that includes a military quickstep and a riotous
outburst of pizzicato. Written in August 1787 while he was hard at
work on his searingly dramatic opera, Don Giovanni, and shortly after the
iconoclastic Ein musikalische Spass (A Musical Joke), Mozart appears
to have composed his "Little Night Music" as a bubbly restorative
to his creative energies. Mystery still surrounds a missing second movement
mentioned in Mozarts own catalogue a minuet and trio and
no one is quite certain whether the work was originally intended for solo
strings or the full orchestral complement. What is undeniable is the way the
general high spirits and exuberance of invention combine in an invigorating
tour de force of supreme creative inspiration.
Julian Haylock
“Eine kleine Nachtmusik chugs and purrs with the verve and high spirits
we expect – cheery, buoyant, immaculately balanced. While the repertory
may repeat items in your collection, SA-CD format may sell this disc to even
the well-heeled Mozartian”
--Gary Lemco, Audiophile Audition
“The surround mix is excellent, with subtle information going to the
rear speakers and the main action upfront…Based on their initial releases,
Pentatone (like Telarc) seems to capture bass in multi-channel more realistically
than other labels…this is a decidedly good sonic effort in a medium
that so far has been plagued by largely variable-sounding recordings.”(artistic
quality 9; sound quality 9).
---Michael Leibowitz, Classics Today, (6/9/2003)
“Thus, this new hybrid SACD, which might at first glance appear to be
unknown artists on an unknown label, is actually a bunch of well-seasoned
professionals doing what they do best…..the real scene stealer is the
delightful ‘Serenata notturna’, K. 239. For many years, I had
not heard a performance or recording to surpass the lovely one by Sir Neville
Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. But this one does. It
offers as much sweet beauty and sleek charm as the Marriner, but also features
more lively wit…Even on the regular CD layer, this recording sounds
beautiful, but the SACD layer gives it a wonderful three-dimensional depth.
The surround sound mix opens up the soundstage very impressively without overdoing
the rear channel ambiance. As noted above, the diffusion of sound in the multi-channel
mix distances the timpani a bit, but this remains a beautiful recording. Pentatone’s
partnership with Polyhymnia International could well make them a force to
reckon with in the SACD market. Warmly recommended”
---Mark Jordan, highfidelityreview.com (22/05/03)