It is great to have
the larger part of Mozart’s unparalleled
output for wind instruments brought
together in one set like this. Of course,
a lot of this is what is often referred
to as ‘banqueting music’, but, being
Mozart, it is all worth listening to
with one’s full attention. In any case,
it is my feeling, from reading contemporary
accounts, that although this Harmonie
music (‘Harmonie’ being the German word
for a wind ensemble) was used at social
functions, in Mozart’s Vienna, such
pieces would have been listened to attentively
by a highly discerning clientele.
Certainly the quality
of the composer’s invention never flags,
even in the most lightweight of these
compositions. In addition, there are
at least three genuine masterpieces
here, these being the three serenades
K.361, 375 and 388. The first of these
is the ‘Gran Partita’, which, as Mozart’s
largest instrumental work, occupies
the whole of CD1. The piece is known
commonly as the ‘Serenade for 13 Wind’,
though it’s usually, as here, performed
by twelve wind and a double bass. It
consists of seven delectable movements,
full of those rich, crunchy textures
that characterise the best wind music.
Many listeners will have heard the Adagio
in the play/film ‘Amadeus’, where Salieri
is driven to insane jealousy by its
effortless yet jaw-dropping loveliness.
Moving to CD2, K.375
in Eb and K388 in C minor are octets
for pairs of oboes, clarinets, horns
and bassoons, and are in a sense more
symphonic than the ‘Gran Partita’, particularly
the solemn C minor with its four terse
movements. (K.375 appears on CD4, interestingly,
in its alternative version for sextet,
with oboes omitted). The six Divertimenti
for sextet (this time it’s the clarinets
that are absent) are spread over CDs
2 and 3, and are earlier, smaller scale
and much lighter than the Serenades.
But they never fail to delight, and
contain constant surprises for the alert
listener.
CD4 begins with two
works featuring the unusual combination
of pairs of oboes, cors anglais, clarinets,
horns and bassoons – giving a ‘dectet’
of great richness. These are followed
by a sequence of works without oboes,
several featuring the basset horn –
essentially an alto clarinet, of which
Mozart was very fond. The two Adagios
K410 and 411 are followed by the five
Divertimenti for 3 bassets, flowing
from the end of CD4 into CD5.
What of the playing?
The Chamber Orchestra of Europe Wind
Soloists (many of them British) are
of course outstanding performers and
musicians, so everything is meticulously
prepared and executed. The quality of
ensemble playing is immaculate, and
there is a welcome desire to project
the music vividly, underlining its gregarious,
entertaining attributes.
The playing of principal
oboe Douglas Boyd is probably the chief
glory of these recordings. He phrases
so beautifully, and produces that wonderful
English oboe sound, reedy yet sweet,
bright and incisive yet flexible and
expressive. He has the musical personality
to determine the style, and lead the
ensemble through these often quite complex
structures without the benefit (?) of
a conductor. His playing in the slow
movements of K361 and K375 is very special,
and he sparkles in the quick movements
too. The other players respond in kind,
but the downside is that the pieces
without oboes seem dull by comparison.
Richard Hosford and Nicholas Rodwell,
the two clarinets who play throughout,
are fine players, but their sounds do
lack a certain brilliance, and continental
listeners, used to something reedier
and brighter, will, I think, be somewhat
disappointed.
The recordings are
mostly of the highest possible quality.
It isn’t easy recording wind instruments,
for the sound emerges from all sorts
of unlikely holes and corners. The engineers
have done a terrific job, with the exception
of the aforementioned oboe-less version
of K375, where the perspective suddenly
seems to have changed, with the players
further back and the sound less immediate.
That aside, this is
an issue that all serious wind players,
as well as lovers of Mozart, will want
to own. I found myself again and again
gasping and chuckling with pleasure
at the sheer ingenuity and charm of
this significant but too easily overlooked
part of Mozart’s output.
Gwyn Parry-Jones
Chamber Orchestra of Europe Wind Soloists 