Not necessarily Peter, he can be rough sometimes. I think Brüggen is the most natural Mozartian, and Christie and Gardiner can be more exquisite, but Harnoncourt always has something to say, and his fanatical dedication to Mozart is never in question.Peter wrote:Is Harnoncourt one of your preferred conductors when it comes to Mozart? I am very fond of his Bach cantatas, but his Mozart is definitely an unknown realm for me. It seems like people's opinions of Harnoncourt are quite varied. Personally I like the rough and timbre sound he brings forward in his recordings.Jose Echenique wrote:
Harnoncourt recorded in the mid 80´s both, the Posthorn Serenade and the Haffner Symphony, the first with the Dresden Staatskapelle and the second with the Concertgebouw, but this is his first recording of both works with his Concentus Musicus. It is obviously a joyous occasion for the great old man, both performances have their idiosyncrasies and insights, it wouldn´t be a Harnoncourt performance without either, but both works are superbly played and his love for Mozart is palpable.
Sometimes digging into obscure repertoire can bring immense rewards. Just take all the glorious Neapolitan repertoire that fell into oblivion in the XIX Century and that la Cappella de´Turchini has been discovering for us in the past 2 decades. Quite simply priceless. Also the rediscovery of hugely important composers like Hasse and Jommelli has been most rewarding. Of course not every obscure composer is worth reviving, but there are some that should be there with the greats [Zelenka for sure]. Remember that Vivaldi has only been in the limelight since the 1950´s. If you had asked about him early in the 20th century, probably very few would have known his name.Peter wrote:I admit my ignorance here as well. It is interesting to explore the shadowy corners of the repertoire. One can always wonder why some pieces persist while other enter the shadow zone and ultimately enters a hibernating state. It is the same as with literature - some books get reprinted while others dissipate and start to fall apart event though they may have been extremely popular at the time they were created/read/performed.Jose Echenique wrote: Oh dear, I do not know that music at all.
Not many do Seán, Schoonderwoerd looks for the rarest pianoforte concerti of the late XVIII and early XIX centuries.
I have to confess that I do like Harnoncourt, particularly in Haydn with the Concentus Musicus Wien, his work is always interesting and sometimes it is superb.Peter wrote:Is Harnoncourt one of your preferred conductors when it comes to Mozart? I am very fond of his Bach cantatas, but his Mozart is definitely an unknown realm for me. It seems like people's opinions of Harnoncourt are quite varied. Personally I like the rough and timbre sound he brings forward in his recordings.Jose Echenique wrote:
Harnoncourt recorded in the mid 80´s both, the Posthorn Serenade and the Haffner Symphony, the first with the Dresden Staatskapelle and the second with the Concertgebouw, but this is his first recording of both works with his Concentus Musicus. It is obviously a joyous occasion for the great old man, both performances have their idiosyncrasies and insights, it wouldn´t be a Harnoncourt performance without either, but both works are superbly played and his love for Mozart is palpable.
Seán wrote: The Mozart cycle by the Prague Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Charles Mackerras is worth getting:
as is this lovely cheap set from Sony:
Peter wrote:Found a nice compilation of Harmonia Mundi recordings this week. [this set: http://www.amazon.com/Harmonia-Mundi-An ... a+mundi+30]
They are delightful!
Purcell - Welcome to All Pleasures - Deller Consort/Deller
Handel - Water Music - Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra/McGegan
Moulinie - Cantique de Moyse - Les Arts Florissants/ Christie
In particular, I very much enjoyed the Moulinie recording by William Christie and Les Arts Florissants
