Ryan Kouroukis | Toronto, Ontario Canada | 01/20/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"By far this set of Bruno Walter's mono Mozart are the fastest and most exciting versions ever heard!
You'll never experience the thrill, the energy, the stamina, the electricity, the passion and drive in ANY other recordings than these!
I was really amazed by this set on all levels...
1) The inexpensiveness of the set!
2) The rarity of these recordings and issued as a set!
3) 4 packed cd's!
4) Very good remastering job
5) Short but facinating liner notes on Walter doing Mozart
6) The bold and daring playing of the New York and Columbia Orchestra's!
7) Bruno Walter's amazing interpretive ideas on these great works!
Ok, so here's what you get:
- Symphonies: 25,28,29,35,36,38,39,40,41
- Overtures: Le Nozze di Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte, Die Zauberflote
- Other: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik & Masonic Funeral Music K477
This historic set was recorded between 1953-1956 in very good mono.
Essential and indispensible for all Mozart and Walter fans of any generation!"
Mozart as is should be
T. J. Whartenby | Galax, Virginia | 10/21/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These symphonies and overtures of Mozart are surely some of the most beautiful music ever written. Bruno Walter's interpretation allows all of that beauty to shine through. He never stands between the music and the listener, but always enhances one's enjoyment and appreciation of Mozart's magic. No one has ever done it better."
Old-World Mozart . . from the New World
Johannes Climacus | Beverly, Massachusetts | 08/14/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This set restores to circulation Bruno Walter's New York Philharmonic versions of the mature Mozart symphonies (35-41). These were recorded in decent mono during the early LP era (1953-1956). Listeners familiar with his stereo versions of these works with the Columbia Symphony (an ad hoc ensemble formed largely for the sake of Walter's Indian Summer recording projects) will note some marked interpretative differences in the earlier recordings. The NYPO provides leaner textures and more alert playing, and Walter's conducting conveys greater vitality, than in the plusher and sometimes too languid Columbia Symphony recordings. Both sets offer the listener a golden opportunity to hear a style of Mozart interpretation that is scarcely, if ever, encountered in our more literalistic age. Phrases are finely shaped, Luftpausen are inserted for structural emphasis, and a "singing line" is consistently maintained. Over the years I have greatly enjoyed both the NYPO and Columbia Symphony versions of 35-41 (the former, until now, heard only from the grooves of old, battered LP's), but if pressed I would give the nod to the earlier set, largely because of the sprightlier manner and more infectiously sprung rhythms. The slow movements, in particular, are more involving than their later counterparts, which can seem a wee bit sleepy. With the NYPO Walter rarely lets the tension sag.
This reissue is made even more desirable by the inclusion of *Eine Kleine Nachtmusik* (monaural version), several overtures, a remarkably intense rendition of the "Masonic Funeral Music," and a batch of early symphonies (25, 28 and 29) with the Columbia Symphony. The three symphonies have been available previously on CD (in Sony's long-defunct Bruno Walter Edition), but it's nice to have them coupled with Walter's other Mozart recordings from the same period of his career. They share similar virtues with the NYPO accounts of 35-41, but are perhaps even more shapely and ingratiating. I have rarely heard a more moving account of the early g-Minor (just the right amount of *Sturm und Drang*), a more festive 28 or a more sparkling 29.
In sum, then, these are recordings to cherish. The presentation is petty basic (unhelpful notes, ugly packaging); the digital transfer pretty good--with cleaner, better focused sonics than on LP. Listeners disposed to replace their aging LP incarnations need not hesitate. Recommended with all enthusiasm--particularly to younger listeners who may be curious to hear "old world" Mozart performed by new world ensembles of yesteryear."
Walter's superior mono Mozart
J. Grant | North Carolina, USA | 05/29/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This terrific set of Mozart symphonies and overtures surely equals, if not exceeds, the great recordings of conductors like Bohm, Szell, Klemperer and Krips. I do wish it contained the woefully underappreciated and rarely played No.27 and perhaps Nos. 33 & 34, but all of the included symphonies and the overtures are given a superb interpretation and performance, be it by the NYPO or the CSO. Sony's remastering job on these 1953-56 mono recordings is... well, masterful. The other reviewer's 2 star rating is simply outlandish. I doubt everyone would give this set 5 stars, but I can't see anybody giving it less than 4."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1