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Wolfgang
Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Operatic excerpts arranged for wind ensemble Die Zauberflöte(1791) (arr. Joseph Heidenreich)
[43:52] La Clemenza di Tito (1791) (arr. Joseph Triebensee)
[28:24]
Saxonian Wind
Academy (Peter Wenzel and Burkard Weber (oboes); Ingolf Grohmann
and Ralf Pettke (clarinets); Alexander Pansa and Frank Streuber (horns); Norman
Kuhnert and Steffen Albert (bassoons); Holger Schuttchen (double-bass))
rec. Stadtpark Frankenberg, Sachsen, Germany, March 2006 NAXOS 8.570027 [72:16]
This CD is a perfect delight, and a real treat for
anyone who loves the sound of a wind band. It consists
of excerpts from Mozart’s last two operas arranged for
wind octet with occasional help from a double-bass. If
this seems unusual to us then it certainly wasn’t to
the Viennese of Mozart’s day. Harmoniemusik,
as it was known, was a regularly used method of popularising
tunes from the operatic hits of
the day. Mozart himself arranged items from Die
Entführung Aus Dem Serail for wind ensemble. In
a letter to his father he stated that it was his intention
to do it himself
before anyone else had the chance of making a profit
out of his work! Joseph II established a much more permanent
and professional group in Vienna in the 1780s, and it
was for a group like this that Mozart wrote his great
wind serenades. Arrangements like this are already familiar
to lovers of Mozart’s operas: think of the banquet scene
from Don Giovanni where the onstage band
plays arrangements from operas by Martin, Sarti and Mozart
himself. The
sonority in this recording is just like that and these
musicians have great fun as they play these great arrangements.
The playing is fruity and characterful throughout.
It’s not surprising that the opening chords of the Zauberflöte overture
sound so perfect
in this arrangement. What is perhaps more surprising
is how good the vocal lines sound. Listen, for example,
to track 2 where the voices of the three ladies blend
perfectly as they are bandied around the different instruments.
Each instrument takes a turn singing a verse of Papageno’s
Act 1 aria, while an oboe and a clarinet duet beautifully
in Bei Männern. The clarinettist takes the place of the
Magic Flute in Wie stark ist
nicht dein Zauberton, while an oboe fills
in as Tamino’s voice. It all works brilliantly and while
there may be times when we miss the bigger climaxes,
such as the chorus that ends Act 1, this is more than
made up for by the sheer good fun of the arrangements.
Some of them, in addition, are strangely and surprisingly
beautiful, such as O Isis und Osiris, which if
anything sounds even more deeply spiritual in this arrangement.
The Tito arrangements are just as much
fun, but if anything capture the drama even better, mainly
because
this set of numbers follow the practice of giving one
voice to one instrument more often. Nowhere is this more
effective than in the final scene of Act 1 as each character
meets on the hill to witness the devastation as the Capitol
burns and Tito is – supposedly - murdered. We feel the
drama of each voice adding and building, and we even
get the whispered snatches that Vittelia gives Sesto
to encourage him to keep his mouth shut. The more gentle
numbers, such as Annio and Sesto’s friendship duet, or
Tito’s Del piu sublime soglio work just as well.
This disc brought me tremendous pleasure. Recording
quality is full but not too close and the playing is
of the highest order. This is a disc worthy to set alongside
your favourite recordings of these operas. At Naxos super-budget
price you can afford to try it and see what you think.
Simon Thompson
Track listing Die Zauberflöte
1. Overture [4:48]
2. Act I: Ich sollte fort? [1:06]
3.
Act I: Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja [2:16]
4. Act I: Hm! Hm!
Hm! [4:38]
5. Act I: Du feines Taubchen, nur herein! [1:58]
6. Act I: Bei Mannern, welche Liebe fuhlen [2:51]
7. Act I:
Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schon [3:13]
8. Act I: Zum Ziele
fuhrt dich diese Bahn [1:52]
9. Act I: Wie stark ist nicht
dein Zauberton! [2:30]
10. Act I: Das klinget so herrlich
[1:24]
11. Act I: Wenn Tugend und Gerechtigkeit [1:15]
12.
Act II: O Isis und Osiris schenket [2:01]
13. Act II: Wie?
Wie? Wie? [2:20] 14. Act II: Alles fuhlt der Liebe Freuden
[1:28]
15. Act II: Seid uns zum zweiten Mal willkommen [2:12]
16. Act II: Soll ich dich, Teurer, nicht mehr sehn? [2:37]
17. Act II: Ein Madchen oder Weibchen wunscht Papageno sich!
[3:39]
18. Act II: Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Papagena! Bist du mir nun
ganz gegeben? [1:44]
La Clemenza di Tito
19. Overture [3:20]
20. Act I: Deh, se piacer mi vuoi [5:41]
21. Act I: Deh, prendi un dolce amplesso [1:13]
22. Act I: March [2:06]
23. Act I: Del piu sublime soglio [3:31]
24. Act I: Ah, perdona al primo affetto [3:33]
25. Act I: Ah, se fosse intorno al trono [2:06]
26. Act I: Deh, conservate, oh Dei [6:54]
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