Mozart tops sparkling programme

Press, 21 April 1986, Page 10

Mozart tops sparkling programme

Classical records review

ALLAN FRANCIS

MOZART. Sinfonia for Wind in E flat. J. S. BACH. Concerto for Violin, Oboe and Strings in C Minor After BWV 1060. VIVALDI. Concerto in C — “San Lorenzo” RV 556/P 84. Alexander Schneider conducts the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. WORLD RECORDS WR 9493 from ASV.

Recording companies used to make much of works such as these. They all would have magnified the romantic flavour to the exclusion of the deeper, characterful composition, the attractive blending of instrumental roles, and the skilful use of original ideas. These recordings would have been cameos.

The K297b of Mozart dominates this batch; it is one of the two great “Sinfonia Concertantes,” full of hints of other works, reworked themes, brilliant orchestration, but the authenticity of the arrangements is under a cloud of doubt. There is no question about the attraction of the work as a whole, played here with vigour and enhanced by enthusiastic audience response. The Bach and Vivaldi pieces are much in the same vein and it is easy to see

the relationship between these composers.

Interesting to note, too, is the origin of the Chamber Orchestra. Formed in 1981 from players of 12 different countries and playing for sheer joy, it has a sparkling atmosphere that suggests strong competition to the English Chamber Orchestra and the I Musici. CELLISTS OF THE BERLIN PHILHARMONIC. Vol. 1. Compositions by Hector Villa-Lobos, lannis Xenakis, Helmut Eder, W. C. Handy, Paul McCartney. WORLD RECORDS WR 9639 from TELEFUNKEN. The idea of 12 cellists bending works to their own idiom is not new. A German recording company brought out this combination as a tongue-in-cheek venture of no particular importance. The group has continued this theme in a more permanent gesture in what will be a several volume set. The fun ingredient still prevails, however, as evidenced by

the face to face confrontation of “Bachianas Brasileiras” and the Beatles “Yesterday” and “St Louis Blues.”

The 12 cellists have established a clear, direct line with their own brand of harmony, making a convincing stand on melodies at both ends of the repertoire. Helmut Eder’s “Melodia — Ritmica” is even more futuristic than the Greek “Windungen.”

With such forward looking music it deserves serious consideration. The apparent flippancy of the selections should not cloud the real issue.

EDVARD CRIEG. Sigurd

Jorsalfar Music. Op 22. Funeral March and Mountain Spell. Per Dreier conducts the L.S.O. WORLD RECORDS WR 9272 from UNICORN.

Only by delving into music of this side of Grieg’s repertoire is his music going to survive in this competitive age. Signs of waning interest have been apparent for years now, but a hope for better things rests on these atmospheric pieces.

The music is the result of his association with the Norwegian playwright, Bjornstjerne Bjomson. While Grieg still infuses his work with the intense nationalistic flavour, there is a new depth that is almost Verdian, certainly reminiscent of Wagner. Greig would doubtless have resisted this suggestion, but-it was obviously a common device of the times to mould the great music dramas of Wagner into the Norwegian patterns of less involved harmonic structure and generally simpler terms. The presence of the fine baritone of Kare Bjorky adds much to an already worthwhile recording.