Another Great Budget-Priced Disc
Darryl Roberson | Dallas, Texas | 12/15/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's so much fun to be able to find great budget-priced collections like this. All the music here is very well played and recorded. The 'Paris' Symphony (31) is the most recorded, and it is splendid. However, I am particularly impressed with this recording of 34--the slow movement is one of Mozart's most beautiful creations.As fond as I am of the Mackeras cycle on Telarc, I believe this disc is the better buy for 31, 33, and 34. If you love Mozart's music, you'll love this disc."
Mozart & Marriner: A Wonderful Combination
A Minstrel in the Gallery | Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA | 04/10/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Over the last few years, I have found myself playing this disc over and over again. I revel in this music. Mozart's 31st (1778) and 34th (1780) symphonies are undeniably brilliant and not heard enough, but Sir Neville Marriner and his acclaimed orchestra do them justice. These pieces are played with passion and precision, especially the captivating melody of the andante in the Paris symphony. When it was premiered on June 18, 1778, Mozart wrote cleverly:
"I prayed God it might go well, dedicating all to His greater honor and glory, and ecce! [behold] -- the symphony began! Raff [a famous singer who was friendly to Mozart] stood near me, and in the midst of the first allegro [the first movement] came a passage I had known would please. The audience was quite carried away -- there was a great outburst of applause. But, since I knew when I wrote it that it would make a sensation, I had brought it in again in the last -- and then it came again, da capo!"
Track #4 is the alternate andantino for symphony 31 Mozart composed after he was told by a French court musician that his original was too long for French tastes. But I find it breathtakingly beautiful! The finale of the 34th symphony is absolutely exhilarating. The charming but more laid-back symphony no. 33 isn't far behind, and the mournful and stirring Masonic Funeral Music from 1785 closes out the disc. This is a very affordable cd with some of the best renditions of these Mozart masterpieces you'll ever hear. If you are a Mozart buff like myself, you'd be crazy not to get your hands on this one."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1