Mozart Serenades - Booklet, Mozart - Serenades (Scottish Chamber Orchestra) (2006 Linn Records) HDtracks ...
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ALSO AVAILABLE FROM LINN RECORDS BY THE
SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
MENDELSSOHN
Symphony No.3 ‘Scottish’
CKD 216 (SACD)
MOZART
Requiem
CKD 211 (SACD)
SIBELIUS
Theatre Music
CKD 220 (SACD)
BRAHMS
Violin Concerto
CKD 224 (SACD)
BARTÓK
Strings, Percussion & Celeste
CKD 234 (SACD)
PROKOFIEV
Symphony No.1 in D major
CKD 219 (SACD)
DVO
ˇ
ÁK
Violin Concerto
CKD 241 (SACD)
MOZART
Wind Concertos
CKD 273 (SACD)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
(1756-1791)
Mozart’s life falls into two periods: his first twenty-five years, up to 1781, living at his
parents’ home in Salzburg, and the last decade, based in Vienna. In both cities his
residence was punctuated by journeys abroad, from 1762 (before his sixth birthday) to
the trip to Prague in the summer of 1791 for the first performance of
La Clemenza
di Tito
. In his formative years travel played a big part in his musical education, as he
composed to suit the expectation of each milieu. But despite this, the bulk of Mozart’s pre-
1781 output was destined for performance in Salzburg, and though we know he yearned
more and more for a larger stage, the range of his compositions make it clear that the
environment of his native city was varied and often stimulating.
The most familiar music from his Salzburg years comprises the pieces in the
standard classical instrumental forms – concertos, symphonies, keyboard sonatas – plus
a few works from his large output of sacred music. The many serenades, cassations, and
divertimentos are much less well known. The
Divertimento
, or Concerto, K.113 is in
fact a “foreign” piece, composed during November 1771 in Milan, where Mozart had
just experienced the triumph of his second operatic commission for the city, the
Festa
teatrale
(Ascanio in Alba). For the fifteen-year-old composer it’s an important moment;
the point where he ceases to be just a precociously gifted youngster, and becomes a
composer with his own recognisable individuality. K.113 is momentous in another way,
too, as the first time he had written for the clarinet, an instrument that was to become so
important to him in Vienna. On this first occasion, Mozart confines himself largely to the
clarinet’s bright upper register, but there are several moments that anticipate the great
clarinet works to come, chief of them, perhaps, the beautiful melody at the start of the
Andante
, designed for the clarinet’s best
cantabile
register, and making use of a motif
he was to return to several times, right up to the great Adagio of the String Quintet, K.593.
There are characteristically Mozartian features throughout the Divertimento, from the
Serenades
1.
March,
(K.189)
3.21
Serenade in D (Andretter),
(K.185)
2.
Allegro assai
5.03
3.
Andante
7.48
4.
Allegro
2.54
5.
Menuetto & Trio
3.36
6.
Andante grazioso
4.56
7.
Menuetto & Trio
5.59
8.
Adagio, Allegro assai
5.10
9.
Rondo in C,
(K.373)
5.42
10.
Adagio in E,
(K.261)
7.30
11.
Rondo Concertante in Bb,
(K.269)
6.51
Divertimento in Eb,
(K.113)
12.
Allegro
3.02
13.
Andante
2.47
14.
Menuetto & Trio
1.52
15.
Allegro
2.24
Cadenzas by
Alexander Janiczek
Recorded at Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh, 6-8 June 2006
Produced by Philip Hobbs
Engineered by Calum Malcolm
Mixed and edited at Finesplice, UK
Photo of SCO by Jeremy Hardie
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elegant opening sentence, neatly introducing the first movement’s contrasting characters
whilst at the same time allowing each voice in the ensemble a say in the dialogue. The
ceremonial style of the
Minuet
contrasts most delightfully with its pensive, minor-key
trio, and the playful finale is a splendid early instance of Mozart’s prodigality of invention
– there are, in a tiny movement, about eight different ideas, all fitting together to make a
balanced whole.
The series of six orchestral Serenades form a significant part of Mozart’s
Salzburg output. They have many common features: all are in the bright key of D major,
written for a full orchestra including trumpets, and with seven or eight movements. Most
were designed to accompany the end-of-year celebrations at the University: on an evening
in early August the serenade would be played twice, first at the Archbishop’s summer
residence, and then in the Kollegienplatz (now the Universitätsplatz) to an audience of
students and professors. Each of the serenades is paired with a march (K.189 belongs
with K.185), played en route to the two venues. In the decade from 1769, Mozart was
the preferred composer for these serenades. In 1773, however, when K.185 (also known
as the
Andretter Serenade
) was written, he wasn’t present at the performance, as he
was on an extended visit to Vienna with his father. Earlier in the year he had composed
his first Violin Concerto (K.207), and K.185 is the first of four serenades to include a
solo violin. Typical of Salzburg practice is the alternation of flutes and oboes, played by
the same players; the flutes appear in the March, the first of the two
Minuets
, and in the
following
Andante grazioso
.
The
March
immediately sets a celebratory atmosphere with its bold motifs and
striking, witty changes of instrumentation and texture. The flutes become prominent
during the suave, elegant second theme. The scale-wise main theme of the Serenade’s
first
Allegro
, surprisingly announced by the bass instruments and the horns, leads to
a range of further ideas, all based on fragments of scales; in this way the young master
combines prodigality with coherence. However, it’s the opening idea that predominates,
with its characteristic rhythm, returning emphatically in an extended coda. The following
two movements form a miniature violin concerto, in the remote key of F major. First,
there’s an
Andante
featuring a broad, sonorous, singing melody and a livelier subsidiary
theme with trills and staccato repeated notes. Then comes a simple
Rondo
, where the
orchestra reiterates the main
Rondo
theme, alternating with a variety of lively solo
episodes. Towards the end the violin begins to join in as the theme is played, introducing
a new continuation.
Back in D major, the trumpets, absent since the first movement, enhance the
effect of a stately
Minuet
. Its
Trio
is most unusually scored, with a melody entrusted to
solo flute and viola, with another viola part and bass for accompaniment. The
Andante
grazioso
has prominent parts for two flutes and for the horns, now pitched in the high
key of A. The bright, luminous sections for wind contrast most beautifully with the
delicate, expressive writing for the violins. The second
Minuet
, typically designed to be
played at a faster tempo than the first, and in a more robust, popular idiom, starts with
a striking, fanfare-like phrase for the whole orchestra in unison. This time there are two
trios: the first, in the minor, reintroduces the solo violin, lightly accompanied by just
violins and violas; the second gives its joyful, instantly memorable melody to the oboes
and horns. The finale is preceded by a mock-heroic slow introduction. After three bars of
stern unison, the wind introduce a motif that’s then adapted to form the main theme of
the finale proper, a movement full of youthful high spirits. At the point where we expect
a conclusion, Mozart springs a surprise – a coda whose main purpose is to introduce
a grand “Mannheim crescendo” (a gradual rise of melodic line, dynamic level, and
excitement, over a constantly repeated bass note). An example of youthful exuberance,
certainly, yet Mozart used the same device to round off the overture to
The Marriage of
Figaro
in 1786.
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In 1775 Mozart wrote the remaining four of his five violin concertos; the last
three, especially, are amongst the most popular of his earlier works. After this, the only
string concertante work he completed was the great Sinfonia Concertante for violin and
viola of 1779. But he did write three separate movements for violin and orchestra, two
of which were probably intended as substitute movements for his own concertos. The
E
major Adagio, K.261
, composed in 1776, is most likely designed to replace the Adagio
of the A major Concerto K.219. Nowadays it’s never heard in this context, but with its
more clear-cut phrases, simpler form, and with flutes substituting for oboes, it provides a
lighter, more graceful, if less profound alternative.
The
Rondo in B flat, K.269
(261a) probably dates from the same period, and
again the likelihood is that it was intended to replace the original finale of K.207, Mozart’s
First Concerto. This work has in places an air of old-fashioned formality, and the Rondo
would certainly have helped to give it a more up-to-date air. By the mid-1770s, Mozart had
evidently formed the conviction, maintained for the rest of his life, that the most effective
conclusion for a concerto was a rondo, where the constant recurrence of a catchy main
theme could induce an upbeat, relaxed mood. K.269 is a more substantial, sophisticated
rondo than the one in the K.185 Serenade. The violin announces the theme before it’s
taken up by the orchestra and passages where the spotlight is on the solo part alternate
with episodes of lively dialogue between orchestra and soloist.
This rondo, like those in the last three violin concertos, ends quietly – an
otherwise unusual feature in Mozart’s orchestral music. One wonders whether it may
reflect a preference of the Salzburg violinist, Antonio Brunetti, who is likely to have
performed all these pieces. There’s a particularly effective quiet conclusion, too, to the
Rondo in C, K.373
, known to have been composed for Brunetti. In March 1781, Mozart
was summoned from Munich, where he had been enjoying the success of his new opera,
Idomeneo
, to attend his employer, the Prince Archbishop Colloredo, on a visit to Vienna.
Also in the Archbishop’s entourage were two other musicians, Brunetti, and the castrato
Ceccarelli. Mozart was extremely discontented. Treated as a servant, required to perform
without extra remuneration whilst being forbidden from accepting lucrative “outside”
engagements, he longed for independence. He was particularly irked to have to appear
at a concert on April 8
th
at the Archbishop’s father’s residence, on the very evening when
he might have been performing before the Emperor. He did however produce three new
pieces for this event: a Recitative and Aria for Ceccarelli, a beautiful Duo Sonata (K.379)
to play with Brunetti, and the Violin Rondo. Mozart, it seems, was not a close friend of
Brunetti – on one occasion he described him as “coarse and dirty” – but from the music
one would never guess this low opinion, or his lack of enthusiasm for what he referred to
as a “foul concert”. The Rondo is urbane and lyrical, with occasional moments of operatic
eloquence and brilliant display, while introducing some surprising, original touches of
orchestration. It’s a fitting farewell to his Salzburg years, and the work of a composer
confident of making his way in the Imperial capital.
© Duncan Druce
, 2007
Alexander Janiczek
director / violin
Alexander Janiczek, highly sought after as a director, soloist, guest leader and chamber
musician, was born in Salzburg to a musical family of Polish and Czech descent. He
began his violin studies at the age of four and went on to study with Helmuth Zehetmair
at the Salzburg Mozarteum. He also participated in masterclasses with Max Rostal, Nathan
Milstein, Ruggiero Ricci and Dorothy Delay.
He first came to public attention when he won first prize in the National
Competition of Austria at the age of nine and appeared soon after as soloist with conductors
such as a Jiri Belohlávek, Michael Gielen, Hans Graf and Manfred Honeck. He has since
appeared as soloist with renowned artists such as Sir Roger Norrington, Murray Perahia,
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Trevor Pinnock, Yuri Bashmet, Andrew Litton, Ton Koopman,
James MacMillan and Emmanuel Krivine.
From the age of twenty a close association with Sándor
Végh and the Camerata Salzburg led to extensive tours as leader,
director and soloist to most of the major festivals across Europe
and the Americas. Recordings released at the same time include
the Haydn Sinfonia Concertante and Mozart’s G Major Concerto
– played on Sándor Végh’s famous ‘Paganini’ Stradivarius.
Alexander Janiczek established a close relationship
with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra as its leader from 1999-2002 and has since been
invited back as director and soloist on numerous tours throughout Scotland and Europe,
as well as directing the Orchestra on a release of Mozart Wind Concertos with Linn
Records
(Linn CKD 273)
. He is also a regular guest leader/director with the Chamber
Orchestra of Europe (with whom he has toured extensively throughout Europe and the
Far East) and has recently directed the Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali of Milan and the
Swedish Chamber Orchestra.
Apart from guest leading major symphony orchestras such as the LSO,
Concertgebouw, Philharmonia, CBSO and Budapest Festival Orchestra, Alexander Janiczek
has recently committed himself to exploring 19th century performance practice, with
La Chambre Philharmonique under Emmanuel Krivine and the Orchestre de Champs
Elysees under Philippe Herreweghe. He is also a dedicated chamber musician and has
appeared with artists such as Steven Isserlis, Boris Pergamenschikow, Joshua Bell, Till
Fellner, Thomas Adés, Christian Zacharias and Llyr Williams. In 2005 and 2006 he was
invited by Mitsuko Uchida and Richard Goode to tutor at the Marlboro Music Festival.
Alexander Janiczek plays the ‘Baron Oppenheim’ Stradivarius from 1716, which
is on loan to him from the National Bank of Austria.
SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Conductor Laureate
Sir Charles Mackerras
Conductor Emeritus
Joseph Swensen
Managing Director
Roy McEwan
4 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh
EH7 5AB
tel:
0131 557 6800
fax:
0131 557 6933
e-mail:
info@sco.org.uk
web:
www.sco.org.uk
1st VIOLIN
Alexander Janiczek
,
Ruth Crouch
,
Lise Aferiat, Fiona Alexander,
Elin Edwards, Greg Lawson, Claire Docherty, Roddy Long
2nd VIOLIN
Claire Sterling, Rosenna East, Rosemary Ellison, Robert McFall,
Niamh Lyons, Harry Kerr
VIOLA
Sophie Renshaw, Simon Rawson, Brian Schiele,
Steve King, Rebecca Wexler
’CELLO
Su-a Lee, John Davidson, Eilidh Martin, Harriet Davidson
BASS
Nicholas Bayley, Adrian Bornet
FLUTE
Alison Mitchell, Elisabeth Dooner
OBOE
Robin Williams, Ruth Contractor
CLARINET
Maximiliano Martín, Ruth Ellis
HORN
Timothy Brown, Harry Johnstone
NATURAL TRUMPET
Peter Franks, Shaun Harrold
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is internationally recognised as one of the world’s
foremost orchestras of its size and for its innovative approach to music-making
and programme planning. Formed in 1974 with a commitment to serve the Scottish
community, it is also one of the country’s major cultural ambassadors. The Orchestra
performs throughout Scotland, including an annual tour of the Highlands and Islands,
and appears regularly at the Edinburgh, St Magnus and Aldeburgh Festivals and the BBC
Proms. Its busy international schedule has recently included Belgium, Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, Spain, the USA, Portugal and The Netherlands.
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