This is Janiczek’s
second CD for Linn featuring a Mozart Serenade and Divertimento.
His first included the Andretter Serenade and Divertimento
in E flat, K113 (CKD287, review).
Here the Colloredo Serenade is introduced by a March
and in this account by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra directed
from the violin by Alexander Janiczek exuberance is the order
of the day. Here’s full sunlight but with soft glinting contrasts
judiciously applied so the effect is never wearing, while shimmers
of trumpet and high horn parts provide a brilliant sheen. As
in the longer movements of the Serenade but not its Minuets
the first section is repeated in this performance but not the
second. This is also the practice in the recording I’m using
for comparison, that made in 1990 by the Camerata Academica
des Mozarteums Salzburg conducted by Sandor Vegh (Capriccio
49368). Vegh’s March is lighter, frothier, with homelier soft
passages, more rustic brass and what sounds a smaller body of
strings. Vegh gets more humour out of the demisemiquaver/dotted
semiquaver figures in the second half but can’t match Janiczek
for sheer majestic, scintillant dazzle of sound.
The Colloredo
Serenade itself begins luxuriantly with an Andante maestoso
but we’re soon into an Allegro assai which delights in
skittish demisemiquaver flourishes at the end of its opening
phrases. Janiczek supplies a well judged contrast of verve and
elegant relaxation though the development (tr 2. 3:34) is certainly
spiky with its waspish strings’ descents. Again Janiczek is
bolder in effect than Vegh, even if the latter’s flourishes
are more genially humorous and softer passages more winsomely
petite. Janiczek achieves an attractively mettlesome sweep which
also illuminates the structural and stylistic baroque roots
of this work.
This is one of the
Mozart serenades which features in effect a violin concerto
in its central movements, the first of which, an Andante,
combines tenderness and firmness. Janiczek’s violin solo, on
the ‘Baron Oppenheim’ Stradivarius from 1716, has both style
and sweetness and he provides his own cadenzas, tasteful and
not overstaying their welcome. It’s all made to seem effortless
arioso and is a telling reminder that Mozart himself played
the violin as well as the piano. Janiczek brings more dynamic
contrast to this movement than Vegh while his projection as
soloist is more forthright yet with a purer, cleaner line than
Vegh’s more demure and delicate soloist Arvid Engegard. With
Janiczek you appreciate the clarity of the whole texture, soloist
and backing, while his closing cadenza has a more rapt, contemplative
quality than Engegard’s ethereal sweetness.
The next movement,
the first of three Minuets, is given an unstoppable momentum
by Janiczek in which all’s right with the world. In the Trio
Janiczek’s dexterous solo violin comes to the fore again but
this is trim enjoyment, not ostentation. Vegh’s Minuet is a
little more easygoing in its swing with Engegard’s solo in the
Trio making a nimble contrast. In the following cheery Allegro
Janiczek is again a little more imposing in character with a
more striking cadenza. Engegard is lighter but still vivacious.
In the second Minuet
Janiczek makes more contrast of energy and plushness by weight
of tone than Vegh’s more contrasting manner of eagerness and
charm. It’s the only movement in which flutes appear instead
of oboes and I like Vegh’s spotlighting of flute tone over the
doubling first violin in the Trio which clarifies the change
of texture, though Janiczek is creamily smooth and more evenly
balanced. There’s a more marked change of texture in the following
Andante (tr. 7), one of gossamery muted violins over
which is layered a chirpy oboe solo with a charming coda in
which oboe and first violins exchange pleasantries. Janiczek
is more satisfying here in lovely glinting muted string sound
and more naturally blithe oboe solo with better observed fp
effects on the leaps to the high notes from 0:49.
The final Minuet
is from Janiczek by turns outgoing and bashful where Vegh makes
it first alert then lolling. Janiczek’s contrast works better
because in the Trio, dominated by an oboe solo, the bashful
mood is heard to have more thoughtful substance. The ebullience
of the very fast finale is both tempered and replenished by
its calmer contrasting passages. Janiczek brings more warmth
to these than Vegh’s more laid back approach while still maintaining
the momentum and catching both the vigour and relaxation ever
alternating in this music. In sum Janiczek’s performance is
more forthright, less suave than Vegh’s. It has more pzazz,
less humour.
The opening movement
of the Divertimento in D, K251 (tr. 10) is all energy in Janiczek’s
hands, with considerable verve. In this work Vegh’s Capriccio
recording comes from 1987 and his more rugged strings get up
a head of steam, but his timing of 4:43 is more than matched
by Janiczek’s 4:27 with even more spirited playing and yet also
more refined tuttis of brighter tone. Janiczek makes
the development (2:19) more powerful and bristling but soon
becalms this with a more beguiling oboe. The first of two Minuets
Janiczek begins in stately fashion but then softens, with a
rather cheeky tail and in the second strain it tiptoes back
shamefaced towards the opening grandeur. Here it’s Janiczek
timing at 4:06 who is more measured than Vegh and I prefer Vegh’s
taking the Minuet at more of a swing, though a sturdy one, and
his lighter touch to its humour. Janiczek makes it more theatrical
but also a bit studied. His Trio, on the other hand, has a
winsome silky quality as a dainty dance for violins with twirling
close. Here Vegh has a less refined but easy grace and delight
in pirouetting.
Next is a comely
Andantino, a smooth parade by Janiczek of greater density
than Vegh’s which has a more smiling manner but is rather conscious
of its own grace. With Janiczek you appreciate more the oboe’s
contributions providing an additional layer to the strings’
introducing the ideas so it seems natural the oboe finally
comes up with a pleasing variation of the catchy theme. Janiczek
better marks the closing svelte guise of the theme at Allegretto
pace. The second Minuet (tr. 13) Janiczek begins proud and robust,
with light drum backing for its opening and closing statements.
Its theme is treated to three variations. The first (0:36) has
a smooth oboe lead with second violin, viola and bassoon involved
accompanists. The second (1:46) features a frisky violin solo
from Janiczek. The third (2:56) finds the second violin providing
a racy backing to the first with the theme. Vegh’s theme is
less high powered but neat and bright enough. His first variation
has a merrier, improvisatory feel, his second and third with
spotlit violin solos more skittering in manner. Janiczek projects
the music more formally but both he and Vegh pleasingly vary
the style of the repeats of the theme which come between the
variations.
Janiczek and Vegh
bring equal élan to the Rondeau finale’s Allegro assai. While
Vegh’s smaller forces here create more sparkle, Janiczek is
more scrupulous about maintaining the tempo with a perter oboe
solo in the second episode (tr. 14 1:39) and a lighter, more
ingenuous oboe in the third (3:10). The March comes at the end
of this Divertimento so this Linn SACD is framed by Marches.
This one is in the French manner, performed by Janiczek with
stylish elegance though steadier and more formal than Vegh’s
sprightlier pointing. Vegh’s timing at 2:11 looks slower but
unlike Janiczek he observes the repeat in the second half, so
his equivalent timing to Janicek’s 1:33 is 1:22.
Linn’s surround
sound recording of Janiczek at Greyfriars Kirk has vivid immediacy
yet also a natural ambience. It’s a wonderfully precise, clean
acoustic and also lovely to hear the pristine silence enveloping
the solo violin’s cadenzas. In sum this CD offers sheer, straightforward
enjoyment served up in a very satisfying manner.
Michael Greenhalgh
Scottish Chamber
Orchestra/Alexander Janiczek (violin)
