Customer Reviews

Mozart: The Impresario/ Mozart's Circle: The Beneficent Dervish

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I like "The Impresario" but what impressed me the most is "The Beneficent Dervish". It has the touch of Mozart, maybe a little too similar to "Abduction from the Seraglio", but... it is concise,rich and colorful, with lots of Turkish "Janissary" music scattered all around. I am surprised that it is not well known; I have never heard it before! If you like the music of "Abduction from the Seraglio", you will love this album.

As a Mozart fanatic I have 140 CDs of his compositions alone --making up nearly his entire catalogue. The Impresario is, indeed, a fine piece, but is dwarfed musically by The Beneficent Dervish. As the premiere recording of the latter, the Boston Baroque sets a high standard for all future recordings! The other reviewers are correct in saying that the Beneficent Dervish acts as almost a sketch preceding The Magic Flute, and it is evident in the brilliantly playful compositional style. The Beneficent Dervish is a must have CD for any connoisseur of Mozart or Classical period Opera!

At the start, it should be made more clear that "The Beneficent Dervish" is not by Mozart, but by lesser talented Viennese comrades of his. It is possible that Mozart may have heard this work performed or rehearsed, and it is the contention of some music historians that this theater piece may have inspired Mozart in his work on "The Magic Flute". That is the only reason this work has been resurrected at all, since most listeners well acquainted with the music of Mozart (particularly at this late point in his life) will notice a distinct lack of skill, imagination, and depth of expression found even in Mozart's lighter works.

The music in "Dervish" is at best amusing (laughable?) and more often dreadful. The harmonies rarely escape the tonic and dominant keys and briefly (but predictably) the relative minor key. Musical phrases are always short and trite compared to Mozart's more expansive ideas which are more often thoroughly developed and delightful to behold. Listen to the overture of "The Imprassaario" then listen to "The Dervish" overture. It seems that the poor composer of the "The Dervish can't get more than four bars out of a theme before he introduces some completely new idea which then goes.....nowhere. These poor ideas do not bear repeating, but they are! Mozart lampooned this kind of composing in his "Musical Joke". Listen how simplistic the orchestral accompaniments are and the lack of counterpoint in the duets and choruses. I always laugh at the end of the final chorus as the entire work seems to crash to a halt in a heap of noise.

Still I recommend this album. It is interesting for its historical aspects. Plus, "The Imprassario" is a dazzling piece and the performance of both works is enthusiastic and accurate throughout.

If you're used to listening to Mozart, you wouldn't be surprised when I tell you that this is one of his less dazzling works. (As compared to Requiem, etc.) The music on this cd is a very good recording, but the music never goes to the same places that some of his other works do. Compared to Tchaikovsky, this is much less fantastical, but much less regimentalized than Beethoven. It's some good middle-of-the-road classical music worthy for the collector, but not for someone looking for widely recognizable classical.