Customer Reviews

Mozart: The Symphonies [Box Set]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When Sir Charles Mackerras aimed his sights at recording the complete Mozart Symphonies with the Prague Chamber Orchestra, critics were delighted at the results as the discs became available separately. The writer for the Penguin Guide commented that the playing and the technical aspects of the recordings were excellent, while pointing out that the pacing is more urgent in the earlier symphonies, more relaxed in the later ones. The Gramophone writer pronounced them "full of sparkle and precision."

No, this is not an "original instrument" presentation, but Mackerras takes a loving view of his composer and most listeners will be quite satisfied with the results. Granted that other recordings might offer more "period style" here or more heaven-moving renditions there. However, this boxed set of 10 CDs has replaced in my collection all the miscellaneous recordings I have been lining up on the Mozart shelf; and (as Ko-Ko sings) "They never will be missed" as long as this Telarc set is there to be played.

The only negative feature is that the time limitations of the CD necessitate that Symphonies No. 8 and 20 begin on one disc and end on the other. But having them in the correct order was quite a challenge for the producers and much to be appreciated.

Mackerras has made some pretty amazing recordings these last years, from Beethoven's 9th to Mahler's 5th. This set has Mackerras conducting the Prague Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble that has definetely studied Mozart and studied him well. Most if not all the symphonies are first class but I have to point out the opening of the 25th and the finale of the 40th. I really rediscovered these pieces after hearing to these great recordings. The sound perfect as always with Telarc recordings. A must for all Mozart fans and a great alternative to the celebrated Hogwood set on L'Oiseau Lyre (Decca).

This set, like the music played, is simply perfect. Every instrument in the orcehstra can be heard as a distinct voice -- this is partly a function of the wonderful sound quality on these discs, but more importantly it's a function of the razor sharp playing of the performers. And Mackerras makes the music dance and sing and soar like (I believe) Mozart's music always should. Everything about this set is just right. I've compared it carefully to Pinnok/English Concert and to ter Linden/Mozart Akademie, Amsterdam (both also excellent) and the Mackerras set is just that much better in every way. Listening to these performances is like listening to this glorious music for the very first time, and you couldn't possibly wish for a better treat than that. I can't recommend this set highly enough.

While historical instuments are not used on these recordings the performances are still excellent and most particularly for the faster than usual tempos for the minuets. Lethargic and pompous minuet tempos are common with most recordings of music from the Classic Period but here we have minuet tempos that are related to the dance steps and the way it was generally danced in the period. While ignorance of the minuet as a dance is wide spread here we have recordings that rise above that limitation and give improved character and vigor to the works as a whole. Bravo!

Great dinner time music. Perhaps not the definitive version of Mozart's symphonies, but good for "study" listening, and background music. Nice to have everything in one collection.

My CDs arrived way before it was supposed to, and it was in excellnet condition as promise.

a music fans comment, Mackerras is good, BUT...

So I do not expect anyone to give my comment a "YES Paul's review was most helpful"

:-))

Mackerras is the most popular as far as modern voting goes. Popular votes never influence my decision in critiquing.

My fav in the complete is Bohm/Berlin

In the last 6 syms, it is Walter/Columbia/Sony which may be the finest I've heard, which is sadly Out of print. The Walter/Columbia is a bigger orch sound, which obviously is against Mozart's initial idea of size of orch. But the Columbia plays so tight/fliud/details rendered with powerful depth of emotions, that it is excusable the "big-band" sound.

Bohm's Berlin is slightly scaled down in size, yet at times does not match the Columbia's tightness/percision.

But I do find Bohm and Walter to be very close so that I can't decide which I prefer more.

IOW I love them both equally, and prefer both over Mackerras well recorded set. Seems to me Mackerras' Prague Chamber is like a "youth orch", not going into the details as does the more experienced Columbia and Berlin. Also to consider is the fact of the instrument quality, which the Prague is not in the same class as the Columbia and Berlin. In Mozart the string section's instruments can make all the difference. AS well as winds. I'm sure the Prague is a smaller budget orch and cannot afford the finer instruments alloted to the 2 bigger orchestras. .

Makerras' orch play too fast at times, lacks depths in the nuances that I hear in Walter and Bohm, and the recorded sound is abit harsh/grainy.

Overall the Mackerras is my 3rd choice in Mozart. But still as good as Bohm is, I felt no need to keep the Mackerras.

Read my review of the Bohm/Berlin complete set.

Here it is! If you've been looking for the essence of Wolfgang Amadeus in a single package look no further. Ten discs of digital recording that will help you relive the life of the greatest composer of all time. Don't leave the checkout without it.

I bought this item from Amazon and I am not sorry that I did. Actually it is good, very good, but I find something that I do not like: Why does this Sir McKerras play all the minuets so fast? Why does he such excessive repeating? The minuets in Haydn are all happy and full of joy, but in Mozart each one is quite different from another: some are happy, some are sad, some are childish, some are majestic, etc. Some of those Minuets seem to be written in order to be danced by Kings and so forth. Is Sir McKerras such an egalitarian that he does not accept such differences? Too bad Herr Josef Krips is dead, he was the real Mozartean.