BaL 26.06.21 - Mozart: Quintet for Piano and Wind Instruments, K452

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library
Iain Burnside chooses his favourite recording of Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Wind K.452

Mozart wrote his famous Quintet in E flat major for Piano and Winds in 1784 and it was premiered at the Imperial and Royal National Court Theater in Vienna. Shortly afterwards, Mozart wrote to his father: “I myself consider it to be the best thing I have written in my life.” It is scored for piano, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon. And most people seem to agree with the composer that it is indeed one of his best pieces - with its amazing wind-writing and life-enhancing energy


Available versions:-

Vladimir Ashkenazy, Jack Brymer, Terence Macdonagh, William Waterhouse, Alan Civil
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Dmitri Ashkenazy, Franziska van Ooyen, Otis Klober, Martin Roos *
Nicolas Baldeyrou, David Guerrier, Julien Hardy, Alexei Ogrintchouk, Bertrand Chamayou *
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Rachael Clegg, Fiona Cross, Ben Hudson, Naomi Atherton
Landon Bilyeu, Bruce Hammel, Charles West, Alan Paterson, Philip Teachey *
Alfred Brendel, Klaus Thunemann, Hermann Baumann, Eduard Brunner, Heinz Holliger *
Alfred Brendel, Hungarian Woodwind Quintet
Robert Casadesus, Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet
Consortium Classicum, Dieter Klöcker *
Penelope Crawford, Cambini Winds
Lamar Crawson, Melos Ensemble *
Michel Dalberto, Ottetto Italiano *
Ensemble 4.1
Ensemble Dialoghi
Ensemble Villa Musica
Christoph Eschenbach, Die Kammersolisten der Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz *
Sandor Falvai, Hungarian Wind Quartet *
Fibonacci Sequence
Edwin Fischer, Paul Blocher, Wilhelm Meyer, Gerhard Burdach, Josef Zutter *
Die Freitagsakademie
Gaudier Ensemble *
Walter Gieseking, Dennis Brain, Philharmonia Wind Ensemble
Yvette Grimaud, Pierre Pierlot, Ulysse Delecluse, Jean Devemy, Maurice Allard
Friedrich Gulda, Wind Ensemble of the Vienna Philharmonic
Ingrid Haebler, Claus Klein, Helman Jung, Georg Meerwein, Karl Dörr
Christian Ihle Hadland, Oslo Kammerakademi
Margarita Höhenrieder, Bläsersolisten der Dresden Staatskapelle
Colin Horsley, Cecil James, Dennis Brain, Leonard Brain, Stephen Waters
Stephen Hough, Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet
Michael Houstoun, Gordon Hunt, Gordon Richards, Ingrid Hagan, Nicola Baker *
Jos van Immerseel, Octophoros
Jenö Jandó, Jeno Kevehazi, Jozsef Kiss, Jozsef Vajda, Bela Kovacs
Lili Kraus, Pierre Pierlot, Jacques Lancelot, Paul Hongne, Gilbert Coursier
Anton Kuerti , James Campbell, James McKay, James Sommerville, James Mason *
Robert Levin, Danny Bond, Anthony Halstead, Antony Pay, Frank de Bruine
James Levine, Ensemble Wien-Berlin
Teres Lof , Amadekvintetten
London Conchord Ensemble
Radu Lupu, Brian Pollard, Vicente Zarzo, George Pieterson, Hans de Vries
Israela Margalit, Joseph Robinson, Stanley Drucker, Judith le Claire, Philip Myers
Aurèle Marthan, Amaury Viduvier, Philibert Perrine, Guillaume Begni, Rafael Angster *
Nash Ensemble
Chiara Nicora, Italian Classical Consort
Maria Nyberg, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra members
John Ogdon, Martin Gatt, Robert Hill, Barry Tuckwell, Derek Wickens *
Murray Perahia, Anthony Halstead, Thea King, Neil Black, Graham Sheen *
Murray Perahia, Members of the English Chamber Orchestra
Vlado Perlemuter, Albion Ensemble,
Didier Puntos, Ensemble Fidelio *
Quintetto Amadeo
Roland Raupenstrauch, Vienna Philharmonic Wind Group *
Helmut Roloff, Kurt Blank, Willi Fugmann, Heinrich Geuser, Hermann Töttcher *
Carol Rosenberger, Allan Vogel, David Shifrin, Robin Graham, Ken Munday
Eric le Sage, Les Vents Français
András Schiff , Heinz Holliger, Elmar Schmid, Klaus Thunemann, Radovan Vlatkovic
Peter Serkin, Tashi
Rudolf Serkin, Anthony Gigliotti, John De Lancie, Sol Schoenbach, Mason Jones *
Mitsuko Uchida, Frank Lloyd, Robin O’Neill, Neil Black, Thea King *
Jan Vermeulen, Il Gardellino
Klara Wurtz, Netherlands Wind Ensemble *
Christian Zacharias, Sabine Meyer Wind Ensemble

(* = download only)

[LMcD]

This is one of my favourite works by one of my favourite composers. I have the recording that heads your list (still available as a CD, which might please some folk!)

[EnemyoftheStoat]

A nitpick: shouldn't this be 26/6/21?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A nitpick: shouldn't this be 26/6/21?

Indeed, it should.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Indeed, it should.

A trivial error, curmudgeonly of me to lead on that given your immense efforts in compiling these lists, Alpie!

[Darloboy]

Previos BaL recommendations:

April 07 (Martin Cotton) Brendel, Holliger & co from 1986 which was only available in an 8-CD box set at the time; Hough/BPO Winds as single disc choice; and Gieseking/Philh Winds as historic choice

June 94 (Colin Lawson) Jenö Jandó & co on Naxos

It was also covered by John Warrack back in Jan 84 but I haven't been able to identify his recommendations

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A trivial error, curmudgeonly of me to lead on that given your immense efforts in compiling these lists, Alpie!

No worries. I prefer mistakes to be corrected. After all, who wants to be listening to BaL on a Tuesday morning?

[visualnickmos]

No worries. I prefer mistakes to be corrected. After all, who wants to be listening to BaL on a Tuesday morning?

I wouldn't mind!

[richardfinegold]

I haven’t listened to this in years. I wonder if the Brendel is in the big Phillips box that I own? The one that I know I have is a Naxos recording.

[MickyD]

For we HIPsters, I have Immerseel and Levin (the latter with our own Tony doing the honours on horn).

[vinteuil]

For we HIPsters, I have Immerseel and Levin (the latter with our own Tony doing the honours on horn).

... and also Vermeulen / Gardellino

.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

For we HIPsters, I have Immerseel and Levin (the latter with our own Tony doing the honours on horn).

As he does on the Perahia recording - very honourable I'd say.

(My spellchecker kept trying to type Peruvian. High-altitude, maybe...)

[richardfinegold]

I just listened to the Brendel. It’s fine but a bit strait laced, having the feel of star musicians coming together in the studio for a one off.

[CallMePaul]

For we HIPsters, I have Immerseel and Levin (the latter with our own Tony doing the honours on horn).

Ensemble Dialoghi is my choice for this piece (and the Beethoven coupling). I personally find the fortepiano, especially Viennese models or copies of them, far more appropriate then the Steinway in the Viennese classics.

[jayne lee wilson]

Current favourites for this gorgeous, beloved piece......

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01DNQIF4A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Quintet-Clarinet-Strings-Quartet/dp/B000B8QFBO/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=mozart+kuijken&qid=1623591505&s=music&sr=1-3

Both utterly wonderful, renewed and refreshed....so, stream or choose according to couplings....