Attractive stylish
packaging is no substitute for information.
Before removal of the cellophane seal
we only know that we are purchasing
a DVD and 2 CDs; the former biographical
with ‘choreographed movements’ and ‘performed
by the Oxford String Quartet; the latter
of Mozart’s "…most famous and best
loved works…". Therefore without
research of some description we do not
know which works are on any of the discs.
Removing the cellophane
and sleeve reveals a beautifully presented
triptych of three disc holders backed
by the list of works exactly as I have
set out above.
Good: the DVD will
give an opportunity to study finger
movements, bowing and playing techniques.
But wait. Where does the ‘choreography’
fit in? Warning bells begin to sound.
So press ‘play’.
The commentary on Mozart’s
life begins and ends the DVD, and intersperses
the movements of the quartet. A smoothly
compiled succession of town scenes,
architecture, countryside, paintings,
portraits and silhouettes are all material
to the point being made in the voice-over.
The information is fine but to pack
Mozart’s full life into 23 minutes is
not realistic. We are given a history
of the man with few references to his
works.
What of the music:
here another warning bell lies in the
word "choreographed". Whilst
‘the quartet’, and I will come to that
in one moment, play and we are afforded
occasional views of them, on a revolving
podium for the first movement, we watch
dance sequences of childhood, youthful
anti-parent rebellion, erotic awakening
and finally an interchangeable foursome.
Apart from the dance
for the first movement, which is somewhat
repetitious and predictable (should
I expect more?), the choreography is
good becoming excellent for the third
and fourth movements. The central part
of the third perfectly represents youthful
erotic enthusiasm whilst the fourth
is a mature, smooth sinewy dance full
of controlled and difficult movements
with a sexual emphasis. Great: but would
I have bought the package expecting
that, or wanting that? I think not.
The sleeve refers to
the Oxford String Quartet. The opening
credit of the DVD refers to the Orford
String Quartet. So, maybe a ‘typo’.
But again wait: the closing credits
tell us that the string quartet we heard
was a recording by the Orford String
Quartet whilst the musicians appearing
on screen were the Con Fuoco Quartet.
So is it all presentation, looks and
spin?
What of the recording?
It is a clear, well-focused and played
performance. There is a seriously mellow
tone, particularly in the violins. However,
there is an absence of contrasts as
if anything fortissimo or pianissimo
is out of bounds. This is a pity because
it reduces the effect of the lyricism
of the second movement and the exuberance
of part of the third. Overall I thought
it a solid performance without being
inspirational.
The CDs contain "…the
most famous and best loved works…".
Really? What may be ‘best loved’ by
you may well not be by others: for example
two operatic overtures in a limited
23 tracks; and of those two Cosi fan
tutte would not appear in my list of
only 23 extracts. However I must not
cavil.
The two overtures are
delivered crisply but with some variable
pacing. Le nozze di Figaro has
strong phrasing without conveying any
light excitement; Cosi fan tutte
lacks the phrasing becoming a series
of notes without an overview. Derek
Han’s playing in the Concerto No.21
in C major has nerve tingling hesitancy
whilst in the F major his dynamics and
tone are quite excellent. With him the
Philharmonia is on good form producing
some velvet colours.
On this evidence Klára
Würtz would not be my favourite
pianist. Whilst accurate and with particularly
strong ‘rippling’ I thought it was a
dynamically indifferent performance.
And I shall not be rushing out to listen
to the rest of the two symphonies at
tracks 5 on each CD. In the Jupiter
I thought the Mozart Akademie were straining
giving the occasional harsh tone and
the C major seemed laboured.
Ave Verum Corpus
is outstanding: total choral clarity
and balance, much feeling, understated
organ playing and a superb deep brown
bass. The Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
is given a workmanlike performance.
After somewhat laboured preceding movements,
only in the rondo are dynamics
much in evidence. The allegro
from the Flute concerto is a seriously
good track: great runs, trills, conversations
with the orchestra which afford Graf
excellent support.
However, for me, the
second CD is preferable. The flute/harp
concerto is smooth and well balanced
with an almost creamy delivery by the
flute, and a harp that seems not played
but stroked. The Serenata Notturna
exhibits strength with lyricism whilst
the Posthorn Serenade transfers sound
silkily between orchestral sections
with some delightful overlaying. With
a strong orchestral accompaniment I
thought Verhey seemed more comfortable
and mellower in the lower register with
only slightly forced vibrato but concluding
flowingly and strongly; which is where
Groop does not succeed because my preferred
Cherubino has a light youthful higher
pitched voice; hers seems too mature
for my taste – but for those who prefer
that, it comes over well contrasting
with the light orchestral accompaniment.
So what of the overview?
I have difficulty in identifying the
target market. The sleeve might tempt
the avuncular gift purchase to introduce
a younger mind to Mozart; whilst the
dance movements might well excite, most
tracks on the CDs would not stimulate
the purchase of the full work.
Robert McKechnie