Collections of Mozart symphonies

[gradus]

I started off with the RPO/Beecham CBS/Philips LP collection of 31, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40 & 41. On acquiring the complete Bohm set, I gave the Beecham versions away, and waited for many years for them to reappear on CD. The only downside to Beecham's interpretations are the ponderous minuets. The mono sound is generally good. More recently, I bought the earlier LPO Beecham set.


I never really took to the Bohm set, but I'm not a great fan of the conductor in general. So when I splashed out on the Philips LP "Complete" (not) Mozart set, I was blessed with the Marriner/Krips set of the symphonies. The Krips versions of 21-36,38-41 are excellent, so it was a pity that the later CD Complete Mozart edition dispensed with Krips in favour of newer Marriner versions.


More recently, I bought the DG Vienna Philharmonic Symphony Edition, which included the Levine set of the conventionally numbered symphonies - good performances, but riddled with every repeat (which some will consider to be a good thing).


Of course, if you want the best, it has to be Furtwangler, which I also have, but as he only recorded 2 (two)…

Ponderous is a bit harsh Alpie, probably he didn't see any reason to rush when he had the RPO at his disposal, all those fabulous wind players.

[verismissimo]

Aside from Mackerras's Mozart symphony recordings with the Prague Chamber Orch - so full of brightness and drive (where they should be) - I've also been loving their recordings of the serenades, especially the dramatic first movements of the Haffner and the Posthorn.

[Dave2002]

Fashions change, so what may once have been top choices have now gone down the list, or even disappeared altogether. I did like some of Colin Davis’s recordings, and the late ones by Bruno Walter. There are even one or two conducted by Benjamin Britten which are worth hearing, though I think he might observe every repeat in some - a joy to some perhaps, a bore to others maybe.

Currently I have been listening to 35 and 41 by Bernstein and the VPO - in the car, a purchase for not a lot from a charity shop. I’m getting to like it, though at first I didn’t like it at all compared with some of the HIPP versions.

Generally I would prefer to hear some of the period bands and/or more HIPP performances, though a very good performance on a full modern orchestra beats a mediocre one on a period orchestra.

Krips was a revelation to me - very good, and I do enjoy Mackerras with the SCO a lot. Back to my opening - don’t neglect Colin Davis. I’m less fond of Marriner’s versions, or Tate’s for that matter, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to enjoy in their CDs.

[jayne lee wilson]

Just out, NDR/Manze in 40/41, will try later.....
Timings suggest most repeats observed, which is fine by me!

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/mozart-symphonies-nos-40-41-live-ndr-radiophilharmonie-andrew-manze/g62vrostlby0a

[Conchis]

If you're not crazy about Mozart's symphonies (I'm not), then go for Klemperer. He clearly loves this music and finds things in it that I don't hear in other performances. His cycle is far from complete, but a lot of Mozart's early symphonies are inessential, I'd say.

O,K.'s performances are 'hideously un-HIP' but that's a point in their favour for me! :)

[Dave2002]

If you're not crazy about Mozart's symphonies (I'm not), then go for Klemperer. He clearly loves this music and finds things in it that I don't hear in other performances. His cycle is far from complete, but a lot of Mozart's early symphonies are inessential, I'd say.

O,K.'s performances are 'hideously un-HIP' but that's a point in their favour for me! :)

I do like Mozart a lot, and so did Klemperer IMO.

[Mal]

I have Pinnock's set, and I'm not very happy with it. I've been trying to find modern orchestra performance of the mature symphonies that I can live with, and it's hard! For example, I find Marriner's Jupiter too tame and not well recorded, Bernstein's a bit shrill... anyway heard Mackarras/SCO on youtube and really liked it, I was only going to listen to a few minutes but ended up listening to the whole thing. I found it rather magical, it might just be "the one". So I've ordered the duo, hope I can live with that...

[Bryn]

A good many years ago I sought Rob Cowan's advice re. which boxed set of Mozart symphonies to consider. He recommended this one, which omits the earliest 16:



I'm more inclined to listen to Hogwood, Pinnock, Mackerras, Brüggen et al, these days but that set was and remains very rewarding.

[Stanfordian]

A good many years ago I sought Rob Cowan's advice re. which boxed set of Mozart symphonies to consider. He recommended this one, which omits the earliest 16:



I'm more inclined to listen to Hogwood, Pinnock, Mackerras, Brüggen et al, these days but that set was and remains very rewarding.

I have this set with Harnoncourt in fine form. Starting at Symphony No. 17 the set suits me as I'm not generally interested in Mozart before that.

[Mal]

I've sampled some of Harnoncourt's Mozart, as recommended in Rob's Guinness 1000 guide. But I find him far too harsh. For an opposition expert's take on Harnoncourt, read "third ear".

[HighlandDougie]

For an opposition expert's take on Harnoncourt, read "third ear".

OK, I freely admit to being a bit dim but I'm completely lost - what is "third ear"? and what is an "opposition expert" in the context of Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Mozart symphonies? Is it like a Shadow Minister in Parliament? And what is meant by, "harsh"? Some explanation would be helpful.

[Mal]

... what is "third ear"? and what is an "opposition expert" in the context of Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Mozart symphonies? Is it like a Shadow Minister in Parliament? And what is meant by, "harsh"?

"Third ear" is another guide to classical music, similar to the Penguin guide. It differs in involving dozens of named experts specialising in one, or a few, composers. Full title:
"Classical Music: The Listener's Companion" ed. Alexander J. Morin forward by: Harold C. Schonberg. This is usually referred to as "Third Ear", which (I think!) is the publisher.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Classical-Music-Listeners-Companion-Essential/dp/0879306386/

You can see large chunks of the book in "Look Inside", including Mozart symphonies from p.616 onwards.

Steven Ritter the Mozart expert, really doesn't like Harnoncourt's performances of the symphonies, one of his milder comments is "Harnoncourt makes 35 a battle cry, not an entertainment, and his extraordinary ability to grab our attention with new and novel approaches doesn't work in a piece that was meant for pure enjoyment." By "opposition expert" I simply meant Ritter opposes Cowan's take on Harnoncourt's Mozart, such that Ritter doesn't recommend it, while Cowan does.

[Stanfordian]

I've sampled some of Harnoncourt's Mozart, as recommended in Rob's Guinness 1000 guide. But I find him far too harsh. For an opposition expert's take on Harnoncourt, read "third ear".

Hello Mal,

I can understand some detectors to Harnoncourt but I have generally enjoyed his Mozart performances. Each to their own!

In Mozart as with most other music I like to hear a range of approaches. To me they are all valid as long as I enjoy them. My favourite in Mozart's later symphonies are the classic 'big-band' accounts from Karl Böhm and Berliner Philharmoniker recorded 1961-62 at Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin on Deutsche Grammophon. On the other hand I also enjoy the recordings by Sir Charles Mackerras with Scottish Chamber Orchestra, employing a period informed approach but not excessively so, which includes modern strings and winds with period brass. Mackerras recorded these compelling accounts in 2007 at City Halls, Dundee for the Linn label. Splendid too using period instruments, Les Musiciens du Louvre under Marc Minkowski excel in recordings made at MC2 (Maison de la Culture), Grenoble in 2005 on Archiv Produktion. I also admire several Mozart recordings in contrasting approaches by Frans Bruggen (on period instruments) and also from Leonard Bernstein.

[Bryn]

"Third ear" is another guide to classical music, similar to the Penguin guide. It differs in involving dozens of named experts specialising in one, or a few, composers. Full title:
"Classical Music: The Listener's Companion" ed. Alexander J. Morin forward by: Harold C. Schonberg. This is usually referred to as "Third Ear", which (I think!) is the publisher.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Classical-Music-Listeners-Companion-Essential/dp/0879306386/

You can see large chunks of the book in "Look Inside", including Mozart symphonies from p.616 onwards.

Steven Ritter the Mozart expert, really doesn't like Harnoncourt's performances of the symphonies, one of his milder comments is "Harnoncourt makes 35 a battle cry, not an entertainment, and his extraordinary ability to grab our attention with new and novel approaches doesn't work in a piece that was meant for pure enjoyment." By "opposition expert" I simply meant Ritter opposes Cowan's take on Harnoncourt's Mozart, such that Ritter doesn't recommend it, while Cowan does.

Hmm. Since Mozart, in a letter to his father, called for the first movement of the Haffner Symphony to be played "with fire", perhaps Rob Cowan was more on the mark.

[jayne lee wilson]

"Third ear" is another guide to classical music, similar to the Penguin guide. It differs in involving dozens of named experts specialising in one, or a few, composers. Full title:
"Classical Music: The Listener's Companion" ed. Alexander J. Morin forward by: Harold C. Schonberg. This is usually referred to as "Third Ear", which (I think!) is the publisher.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Classical-Music-Listeners-Companion-Essential/dp/0879306386/

You can see large chunks of the book in "Look Inside", including Mozart symphonies from p.616 onwards.

Steven Ritter the Mozart expert, really doesn't like Harnoncourt's performances of the symphonies, one of his milder comments is "Harnoncourt makes 35 a battle cry, not an entertainment, and his extraordinary ability to grab our attention with new and novel approaches doesn't work in a piece that was meant for pure enjoyment." By "opposition expert" I simply meant Ritter opposes Cowan's take on Harnoncourt's Mozart, such that Ritter doesn't recommend it, while Cowan does.

I couldn't find my way to page 616 sadly (is there a shortcut? If so I'll take a look) but the problem is that Harnoncourt recordings of Mozart span four decades, from the RCOA, CMW, COE and then those wonderful late CMW/Sony issues of the No.35 c/w the k320 Serenade (a warm and lovable reading, believe it or not), and an utterly remarkable release of 39-41 (the reading conceived as a continuous trilogy, though of course you don't have to listen to it that way) just a few years ago. So it is very hard to generalise about such a creatively renewing artist.

None of those later recordings would strike me as "harsh" or "attention-seeking" - challenging and freshly insightful? Absolutely - as a very original and deeply reflective artist he wants to make us listen.
.
I'm sorry but I do think this view of NH as somehow reducible to attention-grabbing novelty is a much-repeated critical cliché, and just isn't borne out by his many extraordinary recordings with his three most favoured ensembles, and not only in Mozart either. The RCOA and CMW Haydn are very fruitfully different from one another.