Mozart: Violin Concertos

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Artist), Raymond Leppard (Artist), Sir Colin Davis (Artist), London Symphony Orchestra (Artist), New Philharmonia Orchestra (Artist), Arrigo Pelliccia (Artist), Arthur Grumiaux (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 10, 1993)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B000004166
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,696 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #2 in	Music > Classical > Featured Performers, A-Z > ( G ) > Grumiaux, Arthur
  #3 in	Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Symphonies > Sinfonia Concertante
  #45 in	Music > Classical > Instruments > Strings > Violin

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

At the ripe old age of 19 Mozart wrote five violin concertos, and they represent his coming of age as a composer of orchestral music. From here on, it's basically one masterpiece after another. Though not difficult works, technically speaking, they partake in full measure of Mozart's uniquely sensual brand of melody. That means that successful performances must know how to spin out a singing musical line, while at the same time making the most of the rare opportunities for soloistic display. Taste and musicianship are more important qualities than virtuosity, and that makes these pieces ideal vehicles for Arthur Grumiaux's aristocratic temperament and technical polish. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Mozart violin concertos availableand more!, May 22, 2000

By	Mike Powers "mkp51" (Boothbay, ME United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This outstanding Philips Duo compilation is a tremendous bargain for Mozart lovers. It contains all five of Mozart's violin concertos, and, in addition, his Adagio for Violin and Orchestra (K. 261), Rondo for Violin and Orchestra (K. 373), and Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra, (K. 364.) The violin concertos are played by violinist Arthur Grumiaux and the London Symphony Orchestra with breathtaking beauty and an almost perfect classical simplicity and restraint, and convey a sense of Mozartean elegance, virtuosity and passion. Grumiaux teams with the Raymond Leppard and the New Philharmonia Orchestra for the Adagio, Rondo and Sinfonia Concertante (with Arrigo Pellica playing the viola.) The musical results are no less outstanding. Also worth mentioning are the liner notes, which combine an excellent historical overview of the compositions with superb musical commentary. They are among the best I've ever found accompanying a classical CD. This 2-CD set is an absolute winner. It belongs in every classical music lover's collection.

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars no other recordings needed, September 20, 2002

By	PARTHO ROY "Sir Fopling" (Tampa, Florida USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the complete corpus, minus the Concertone in C, of Mozart's major works for violin and orchestra. Not only will this CD quickly fill that gap in your classical collection, but you will not compromise anything in terms of quality and performance with this all-encompassing CD. Arthur Grumiaux's performance is near-perfect interpretation, combining sensitivity with rousing liveliness, and wit where needed. These are some rather well-noted performances from the 1960s, completely digitally remastered for today's high-tech listener. Personal favorites of mine are the final Rondeaus of Concertos Nos. 2 and 5, and that perennial showpiece, the Sinfonia Concertante, K. 364 (320d) (performed with violist Arrigo Pellicia). Carefully considered performances, executed without a hint of pretension, make this recording the best match for quality, comprehensiveness, and value.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars End of the road, January 3, 2005

By	Bogdan Iliescu (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is what I felt when I finally got to listen to these concertos after couple of years of intense searching. Although technically maybe not so difficult as said everywhere, I found them extremely difficult as far as music and 'the ritght tone' goes. Horowitz once said that nowadays people play Mozart like Chopin and vice-versa. And this is true for many of the recordings with violin concertos. None I've listened before really told the story of these concertos. I got as close as I could with Mutter/Karajan and Perlman/Levine. Yet sometimes the violin was to impersonal (Mutter) or the orchestra not quite on the subject (Levine). This Chrismas I finally got to listen to Grumiaux of which I've heard before and let me tell you this: everything you read here is true. Grumiaux is playing the whole Mozart in these concertos. I'd go as far as to say that is is one of the best Mozart 'incarnations' in sound in all recorded music history. He is elegant, wonderful and full of understading phrasing. Everything is there in full range. Colin Davis does, as usual, a great job accompanying an outstanding performance in every aspect. Even those of you who only enjoy a very good recorded sound have all the reasons to be happy. It hardly can get better than this. But Grumiaux deserves all appraisals above all. What he does is extreme and sweet justice to Mozart and to his music.