Mozart Fest

[Norfolk Born]

I think the early symphonies numbered 25 (K183) and 29 (K201) rank as exceptions to the general point above.

[Pianorak]

I got to love it in the end - lots of stuff turned out to be such a surprise "What! That's Mozart?". And the added bonus of not having to wonder "now, what composer would that be"? and not being woken up in the morning to some ear shattering baroque music on period brass instruments.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And the added bonus of not having to wonder "now, what composer would that be"? and not being woken up in the morning to some ear shattering baroque music on period brass instruments.

But we've had a huge amount of ear-shattering HIP,whiny, fashionable-to-today's-critics Mozart.

[Pianorak]

Alpen - Please excuse my ignorance, but what is HIP?
PS. Just been listening again to last night's Mozart Uncovered on BBCiPlayer. Getting actually quite fond of the fortepiano. Wonders will never cease!

[Bryn]

It's more usually written "HIPP", i.e. historically informed performance practice. Some people, such as EA, prefer their Mozart Bowlerised however.

[Flosshilde]

being woken up in the morning to some ear shattering baroque music on period brass instruments.

Nothing better to get you going in the morning - I wish I could programme my alarm clock with some good, period instrument, baroque brass. Actually, come to think of it, although he's a bit earlier than baroque, some of Monteverdi's fanfares would make excellent morning calls.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Some people, such as EA, prefer their Mozart Bowlerised however.

Bryn and I are Polarised on this issue.

[Pianorak]

Nothing better to get you going in the morning . . .

. . . and reach for the OFF button.

[Nick Armstrong]

Nothing better to get you going in the morning - I wish I could programme my alarm clock with some good, period instrument, baroque brass. Actually, come to think of it, although he's a bit earlier than baroque, some of Monteverdi's fanfares would make excellent morning calls.

My mobile phone which serves as my alarm clock is programmed with 3 baroque pieces, one with some good HIPP brass: the Suzuki performance of Bach's Sinfonia in D major, BWV 1045.

The other pieces are Ton Koopman playing the Toccata from Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564; and (not HIPP this one) Le Tic-Toc-Choc by Couperin played on the piano by Alexandre Tharaud.

They are all perfect for the job. For the the last few weeks, it's been Le Tic-Toc-Choc: what more appropriate title for an alarm clock wake up!

[mercia]

"Harry the Piano" has just played some major-key Mozart in the minor and vice versa, on Radio 3 Breakfast - nothing particularly clever about that is there, or am I missing something?

[BBMmk2]

Nothing better to get you going in the morning - I wish I could programme my alarm clock with some good, period instrument, baroque brass. Actually, come to think of it, although he's a bit earlier than baroque, some of Monteverdi's fanfares would make excellent morning calls.

The ideal way to wake up, IMO!! :)

[Suffolkcoastal]

Another of Mozart's contemporaries that hasn't been touched upon is Vanhal, I've recordings of a number of his works and have been most impressed, yet another another composer that seems to have been written off without due consideration. Dittersdorf I find less noteworthy though not to be dismissed, and I have also been impressed by the symphonies of Leopold Kozeluch. I've only only heard from extract from an opera by Porpora which sounded quite good to me and I must (if I ever have time) investigate his music too. As for HIP, I'm with EA on this one, I'm fine with HIP in Baroque music but in the classical repetoire onwards it begins to grate on me. Though this said I still prefer for classical era works not to played with largish orchestras, more in keeping with the size of the ensembles of the composer's time. I really do not like the sound of the fortepiano and I feel that some HIP's get away with poor playing under this general banner. Plus how do we really know exactly what an orchestra sounded like in Mozart's time? Yes there is plenty of written documentation on instrument manufacture and performance style, but still unless anyone has a time machine nobody will know exactly what is sounded like and it is all an approximation. This is even more true with vocal works, what exactly did choirs and soloists sound like especially with the changes in pitch since the 18th century?

[Lion-of-Vienna]

Recently I listened to last Monday's Afternoon on Three concert specifically to hear Mozart's fragmentary Oboe Concerto in F K293 and to find out what Robert Levin had done to complete the movement. Imagine my disappointment when, after a few sentences about the background to K293, the orchestra and soloist launched into the Oboe Concerto in C K314. Now I like K314, especially in its oboe version, but I must have heard it about three million times and that was one time too many. The announcer did acknowledge the error at the end of the performance but there was no indication about if or when a broadcast of K293 might be heard. Has anyone out there heard this piece during the past week?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Recently I listened to last Monday's Afternoon on Three concert specifically to hear Mozart's fragmentary Oboe Concerto in F K293 and to find out what Robert Levin had done to complete the movement. Imagine my disappointment when, after a few sentences about the background to K293, the orchestra and soloist launched into the Oboe Concerto in C K314. Now I like K314, especially in its oboe version, but I must have heard it about three million times and that was one time too many. The announcer did acknowledge the error at the end of the performance but there was no indication about if or when a broadcast of K293 might be heard. Has anyone out there heard this piece during the past week?

This was one of just two programmes that looked vaguely interesting during the Mozartfest. I was gutted not to hear this mysterious work.

[Simon]

Anybody listening to K491 now? I disagreed with some of Tom Service's introductory remarks. This is, for me, a triumphant concerto. so what if it's minor key and chromatic. Though this performance is technically good, it's hardly outstanding as yet. not really moving me, anyway.