COMPOSERS: Mozart
LABELS: Teldec Das Alte Werk
WORKS: Horn Concertos in E flat, K417, K447, K495; Horn Concerto in in D, K386b
PERFORMER: Hermann Baumann (natural horn)Concentus Musicus Wien/ Nikolaus Harnoncourt
CATALOGUE NO: 0630-17429-2 ADD 1974
Classical horn concertos benefit especially from period performance. Tone quality is distinctive but vividly variable, smooth open notes contrasting with luminous hand-stopping. Mozart capitalised on this, most strikingly in K417 where Baumann delights in the timbral tension of distant keys. Three-part cadenza chords (horn, voice and ‘difference-tone’) may be quirky, but they reflect Mozart’s own less-than-serious approach. Harnoncourt’s pace has lethargic moments and the remastered sound is somewhat brittle, but I greatly enjoyed this revisitation. George Pratt
Mozart: Horn Concertos in E flat, K417, K447, K495; Horn Concerto in in D, K386b
Classical horn concertos benefit especially from period performance. Tone quality is distinctive but vividly variable, smooth open notes contrasting with luminous hand-stopping. Mozart capitalised on this, most strikingly in K417 where Baumann delights in the timbral tension of distant keys. Three-part cadenza chords (horn, voice and ‘difference-tone’) may be quirky, but they reflect Mozart’s own less-than-serious approach. Harnoncourt’s pace has lethargic moments and the remastered sound is somewhat brittle, but I greatly enjoyed this revisitation. George Pratt
Our rating
3
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:40 pm