Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Serenade no.10 in B flat major for 13 wind instruments, K361/370a Gran Partita (1781/1784?) [47:51]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Variations on “Là ci darem la mano” from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” WoO28 (1795) [9:24]
Alexei Ogrintchouk (oboe & direction)
Nicoline Alt (oboe)
Miriam Pastor Burgos (cor anglais)
Members of the Concertgebouworkest
BIS BIS2463 SACD [58:07]
The date of composition of Mozart’s Gran Partita – or, as per the manuscript in a hand other than the composer’s, “Partitta”, an accepted spelling variant of its time – remains in dispute, but it is clearly a work of Mozart’s maturity composed after he had arrived in Vienna and was designed to capitalise upon the talents of his friend, virtuoso clarinettist and inventor of the basset-clarinet, Anton Stadler. It is also indisputably a work of genius and one of only a handful of works which completely successfully exploit the sonorities of the Classical wind ensemble while retaining proper balance amongst the instruments.
There is no shortage of first-class recordings; I own, play and enjoy versions conducted by Marriner, Mehta and Herreweghe, the best of the recordings in period style (but still at modern pitch) which I reviewed. There is also a fine version by the winds of the Berlin Philharmonic on the Orfeo label, although I think the three above are superior.
This new recording must therefore come up against some strong competition, as K361 runs a wide gamut of moods, from the comical to the tragic to the melancholy to the sublime and the ensemble has to be very flexible, able to play with wit and abandon - and also to touch sublimity. This BIS issue succeeds triumphantly.
I don’t usually remark first upon the sound quality of a recording, as these days sonic excellence is usually a given but this is spectacular and in fact too many CDs I have recently reviewed are recorded at too low a level, requiring some cranking up of volume and then if the dynamic compression is misjudged, a sudden lunge for the volume control when a loud passage occurs. Not so here: it’s perfect. The only down side is that its very clarity means that the first thing we hear is a loud intake of breath signalling the downbeat; no matter, performers must breathe and the click of keys adds immediacy to the listening experience.
Leader and oboist Alexei Ogrintchouk has a lovely, fruity tone and plays with real verve – as does every musician here; there is no over-refinement but instead a gutsy attack, especially from the lower instruments which are properly prominent – especially the horns. Every movement here is played exactly as I like to hear it: the right tempo, balance and phrasing invariably obtain; passages such as those played in thirds in the minuet are a delight. Of course, no review of this work is complete without consideration of that famous, central Adagio. Does it cast its spell? The oboe and clarinet soloists are each given their turn in the spotlight without grandstanding and the effect, as they serenade each other over the bass oompah, is mesmerising. The answer to my question is that the movement is played to perfection. The Romanze is almost as magical, played with such slancio and freedom – no fear of expressive rubato here, and the joy the performers bring to this wonderful music is palpable. Even the dreaded variations are captivating. The ripple underlying the plaintive oboe in the penultimate Variation11 is like a purling stream; everything is suffused with life and energy, through to the exuberant finale.
After such riches, Beethoven’s homage to Mozart is inevitably a tad anticlimactic, especially as it is a miniature work comprising of variations on the duet between Don Giovanni and Zerlina lasting under ten minutes, but into that time Beethoven packs the main theme, eight variations and a coda. It is not of the stature of Mozart’s serenade, but it is a clever, inventive showpiece for the three soloists and makes a charming makeweight.
The only criticism possible is that these days this disc is rather short measure at under an hour – but with music and playing of this quality, it would be churlish to complain. The recording comes neatly packaged in a slimline cardboard digipack – very eco – with a trilingual booklet.
Ralph Moore
