Search - Gottfried von der Goltz, Freiburger Barockorchester, Suzanne Kaiser :: Mozart: Concerto for Flute & Harp, Symphony No. 31 (Paris) K 297, Symphonie Concertante K. 297b

All of the music on this CD was composed while Mozart was in France in 1778. The city was bustling with good musicians and Mozart's hopes were high. In fact, not only did he have trouble finding steady work, it was at this time that his mother, who accompanied him, died from drinking tainted water. But the works recorded here, composed before her death, express nothing but beauty and enthusiasm, and each is unique. The elegant, dance filled Flute and Harp concerto, composed for a father and daughter, receives a vivid, highly graceful reading by Mara Galassi, harpist, and Susanne Kaiser, flautist. The Sinfonia Concertante for strings and four solo wind instruments is a piece with many textures and some very difficult horn passages, all of which are stunningly presented. The "Paris" Symphony (No. 31) is scored for a very large orchestra and has a type of grandeur associated with Haydn's late symphonies. It features trumpets and kettledrums to give it a festive feel. The performances under Gottfried van der Goltz, are crisp, clean, and filled with ear-opening surprises. The Freiburger Barockorchester is a truly superb period instrument ensemble and their attention to orchestral colors must have been just what Mozart wanted in Paris. --Robert Levine