Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante K364: recommended recordings please!

[Guest]

I'm new to this lovely piece, coming to it through Renaud Capucon's recording with Louis Langrée and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. It sounds nice enough, though, as is often the case, a touch too much vibrato for my tastes.

I wondered if anyone could recommend a recording worth buying. I don't have much Mozart at all (late symphonies*, various piano concertos, a few piano sonatas) only recently 'clicking' with him after immersing myself in all the many marvels (and interpretation possibilities) of Beethoven's oeuvre for two years' solid. Therefore, if the 'SC' came coupled with violin concertos, that could suit me, too.

*I think I have Jayne Lee Wilson to thank for putting me on to Mackerras/Prague Chamber Orchestra by way of the 'Jupiter' BaL thread, so thanks for that: they're electric! Incidentally, in my search for a decent 'SC', I found one of Jayne's reviews - a Bruggen -er, no less, though that wasn't Bruggen's fault.

[pastoralguy]

David and Igor Oistrakh with the Berlin Phil. is pretty good.

[LeMartinPecheur]

David and Igor Oistrakh with the Berlin Phil. is pretty good.

So is the Oistrakhs with the Moscow PO under Kondrashin in a very nice Decca twofer with David in the Bruch Scottish fantasia and the Hindemith Concerto (LSO/ Horenstein & Hindemith respectively): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruch-Hindem...8171638&sr=1-1

EDIT The O's also do a nice Mozart duo - K423 - to fill up the SC disc.

[Parry1912]

Perlman and Zukerman

[Barbirollians]

Perlman and Zukerman

I agree wholeheartedly - though I also have a soft spot for Menuhin/Barshai .

[Ferretfancy]

I've loved this piece ever since two talented amateurs played it for us in the school library one evening sixty years ago. The two Oistrakhs with Kondrashin gets my vote as well, although I have an earlier issue coupled with Gervase de Peyer in the Clarinet Concerto. The Hindemith concerto mentioned above is special too.

[jayne lee wilson]

Hi Throstles,

Can't find Mackerras' Prague SO Jupiter anywhere here, only his SCO one, so credit some other musiclover with that... (IIRC I asked why no-one else had the Norrington live Salzburg one).

Still stand by the Bruggen/Zehetmair/Killius as a lovable, sweetly and spaciously recorded favourite (if only it weren't albatrossed by mediocre vn. ctos), Abbado/Carmignola/Waskiewicz with Orchestra Mozart are a more radical alternative, phrasing more clipped, sonorities leaner, less warmly songful than Bruggen.

I spent some silly money on the fim xrcd of Kondrashin with the Oistrakhs, and whilst it's beautifully played and Kondrashin is one of my heroes, the Moscow orchestral sounds bludgeoningly large! Too grand for the piece. (Those Hindemith and Bruch pieces are, as LMP says, glorious for the same reason, better recorded, and a total knockout on the XRCD.)

Of older big band sounds, Szell and the Cleveland principals are top of my tree, with Davis/Grumiaux/Pellicia etc. a twig or two lower. Szell has just that bit more elegance and grace in his orchestral approach (and a better orchestra in that vintage).

But as I've implied, I find it increasingly hard to listen to large modern symphony orchestras in this repertoire.

[cloughie]

I've loved this piece ever since two talented amateurs played it for us in the school library one evening sixty years ago. The two Oistrakhs with Kondrashin gets my vote as well, although I have an earlier issue coupled with Gervase de Peyer in the Clarinet Concerto. The Hindemith concerto mentioned above is special too.

I also like the two Oistrakhs with Kondrashin, but the Brandis Cappone Bohm is good as is the unavailable ( I had the LP) with Stern Zukerman and Barenboim, the Stamitz coupling was good too!

[Petrushka]

If you want it with the Violin Concertos: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Compl...8176572&sr=1-1

[Barbirollians]

I see you don't like vibrato - so I better not recommend Sammons and Tertis !

[verismissimo]

Aside from the Bruggen, there's loads of wobbly stuff going on in these recommendations. Think we're not trying hard enough here.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The version with Iona Brown and Nabuko Imai is full of that authentic wobbly stuff that Mozart's dad complained about. Quite ravishing.

[mikealdren]

Amazing how we still choose older performances rather than more HIP.

My personal favourite is David Oistrakh with Barshai. Oistrakh was in his fabulous prime in the 1950s and fine as his viola playing was, I love his reading of the violin part. Barshai was excellent too!

Perlman and Zukermann don't generate the magic for me, nor Grumiaux (a real favourite).

Mike

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Amazing how we still choose older performances rather than more HIP.

Well, there aren't that many, Mike!

I used to have the Perlman/Zuckermann on LP, but rarely played it (all that sweetness: worried about caries!). The Schroder/MacDonald on DHM, on the other hand is superb - revealing so many facets of the work that escape so many others I've heard.

Perlman and Zukermann don't generate the magic for me, nor Grumiaux (a real favourite).

Que? Grumiaux is "a real favourite" Because "it doesn't generate the magic"? in spite of not generating the magic? The "nor" should be "unlike"? Or "Grumiaux is a real favourite amongst violinists but in this work he doesn't generate the magic"?

[mathias broucek]

The version with Iona Brown and Nabuko Imai is full of that authentic wobbly stuff that Mozart's dad complained about. Quite ravishing.

There's another one with her and Suk on Decca