Collections of Mozart symphonies

[richardfinegold]

The Bohm and Krips are safe choices. I still prefer Klemperer in 35/36. Has anyone mentioned Marriner and ASMF? Small Orchestra, reasonable tempos, judicious vibrato. I have their Prague and it's a joy.

[Thropplenoggin]

The Bohm and Krips are safe choices. I still prefer Klemperer in 35/36. Has anyone mentioned Marriner and ASMF? Small Orchestra, reasonable tempos, judicious vibrato. I have their Prague and it's a joy.

Stanfordian and Richard: but Bohm is slower and 'big band', no, which would rule it out for me. [See posts passim]

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The Bohm and Krips are safe choices. I still prefer Klemperer in 35/36. Has anyone mentioned Marriner and ASMF? Small Orchestra, reasonable tempos, judicious vibrato. I have their Prague and it's a joy.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Stanfordian and Richard: but Bohm is slower and 'big band', no, which would rule it out for me. [See posts passim]

But Mozart is on record as having relished hearing his music with a large orchestra - letter to Leopold re the 1st performance of no. 31.

[Thropplenoggin]

But Mozart is on record as having relished hearing his music with a large orchestra - letter to Leopold re the 1st performance of no. 31.

Bohm's large orchestra still won't sound like period instruments or adhere to period-performance tempi or practises, though, will it?

[visualnickmos]

Marriner and ASMF? Small Orchestra, reasonable tempos, judicious vibrato. I have their Prague and it's a joy.

Agree - the complete symphonies set is joyous throughout. Marriner in Mozart is always great, but many may disagree.

[verismissimo]

I've been listening with pleasure to the AAM/Hogwood set in order. A real journey. All there (apart from the harpsichord, but including all the doubtfuls) on 19 CDs.

Terrific playing, tempos etc. I gather Jaap Schroder had a major influence on the string playing.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Bohm's large orchestra still won't sound like period instruments or adhere to period-performance tempi or practises, though, will it?

But he plays exactly what it says on the score, without adding extra instruments neither necessary nor implied. As far as period performance practices is concerned, that is mainly conjecture, and includes a comment by Mozart's father (who Wolfgang liked to ignore) which is taken by some to extremes.

[Julien Sorel]

But Mozart is on record as having relished hearing his music with a large orchestra - letter to Leopold re the 1st performance of no. 31.

But that's a reaction to a performance of a symphony by the Concert Spirituel in Paris - Mozart was 22, the symphony is heavily scored to take advantage of the musicians available, it's a show-off piece with its 'Mannheim Rocket' (a very good show-off piece) and packs in all the things Mozart thought the audience in Paris would like (he wanted a job there). He's also showing off to Leopold; but I bet he liked the noise. Why not? It doesn't mean Mozart invariably wanted a monster orchestra or that he'd have had anything like the 1960s Berlin Philharmonic in mind. I'm sure he also hoped people would applaud striking passages, jump up and down, make love in the aisles. He was an ebullient, volatile sort of a youth. Bit like cranking up the stereo and boosting the bass .

Of course, when he didn't get a job in Paris he went back to slagging off the French and wrote a letter on Voltaire's death saying he was a very wicked man and would assuredly be in hell (I paraphrase).

[Thropplenoggin]

But he plays exactly what it says on the score, without adding extra instruments neither necessary nor implied. As far as period performance practices is concerned, that is mainly conjecture, and includes a comment by Mozart's father (who Wolfgang liked to ignore) which is taken by some to extremes.

Play Pinnock's No. 25, 29, 40, 41 side by side with Bohm. You'll understand why it's difficult for someone such as me, who has discovered these works through HIP interpreters, to go back to Bohm (vibrato, slower tempi, different instrument sound, etc.) I don't see why this should bother you. If I had discovered the works through Bohm, Krips et al, I'm sure I would have a soft spot for them, too.

Of course, if you're determined not to like period-practise, well, this conversation isn't going to go very far, is it?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Play Pinnock's No. 25, 29, 40, 41 side by side with Bohm. You'll understand why it's difficult for someone such as me, who has discovered these works through HIP interpreters, to go back to Bohm (vibrato, slower tempi, different instrument sound, etc.) I don't see why this should bother you. If I had discovered the works through Bohm, Krips et al, I'm sure I would have a soft spot for them, too.

Of course, if you're determined not to like period-practise, well, this conversation isn't going to go very far, is it?

Whoever said I didn't like period-practice? I find it fascinating, but become suspicious when the performers' arguments seem hell-bent on outdoing one another. In the case of the inclusion of the harpsichord, this seems to me to be an unmusical arrangement, as its primary purpose was to hold the orchestra together. Had it been used for musical effect, it would have been rested periodically. I've already referred to the harpsichord"s lack of dynamic range within a group of instruments which have a wide range... It isn't as though the texture needed filling in, as it does in baroque cembalo parts. The harmonies are complete as written.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

As far as period performance practices is concerned, that is mainly conjecture, and includes a comment by Mozart's father (who Wolfgang liked to ignore) which is taken by some to extremes.

Not nearly as conjectural as the idea (not one that you have suggested, Alpie) that modern instruments can communicate the Music better than/as well as the instrumental sonorities that Mozart would have heard. An orchestra of 18th Century instruments with an extremely large String section makes a different sound from an ensemble of their 20th Century equivalents. As for Tempi, Mozart is also "on record" as preferring sprightlier speeds than some of the performances he heard. (It's all in the Zaslaw book taken from the sleeve notes to the Hogwood set.)

I love Klemperer's view of the Symphonies, and Böhm's recordings of the operas - but his recordings of the Symphonies (or, at least the later ones: I haven't heard any lower than 31) don't set of any sparks for me, alas.

[gurnemanz]

I saw Jochum a few times and always found him most sympathetic. Fairfield Croydon with Peter Katin comes to mind. His Boston SO Jupiter with Schubert Unfinished, not mentioned so far, is a favourite disc.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I saw Jochum a few times and always found him most sympathetic.

My first ever recording of the Linz Symphony was conducted by Jochum, and it did no favours for this otherwise great conductor. I recall the block chords in bars 32 - 36 of the first movement, being shockingly imprecise, and I can "hear" them played in this way in my head every time I listen to the work.

[Mahler's3rd]

All I have is the ASMF/Marriner set 1-41, plus a couple of the other symphonies on the BBC Legends label, will have to invetsigate some more I reckon