Simply Mozart: Don Giovanni, Piano Concerto, Symphony
It wasn’t that long ago that I reviewed another Mozart program by Le Concert de la Loge. The theme with Simply Mozart seems to be to present some of his most popular works. In this release, the Overture to Don Giovanni is coupled with his popular piano concerto in A, no. 23 and the G minor symphony no. 40. The last recording which feature the Jupiter symphony was quite excellent, so my expectations were high for this release as well.
The opera overture is fully of thematic material and drama; it opens large and the ensemble makes enough noise. When phrases end the amount of reverb is significant, however the recording engineers managed to capture a very transparent and well-blended sound. My only quibble with the recording’s sound is that it feels a few decibels softer than other recordings in terms of levels.
The piano concerto features Andreas Staier, who in early music circles should need no introduction. Staier’s piano blends well with the orchestra in the recording. Instead of artificially sounded in front of, or louder than the ensemble, it feels authentically matched and blends as we might expect, with the orchestra over-taking it with its volume, as we should expect. This balance is refreshing to anyone having heard performances like this on a period piano. It should only disappoint those used to the sound of a modern concert grand.
I think the tempo for the first movement was well-chosen and is neither too fast or too slow; Staier seems to take the reins of control in the middle movement with all its solo passages. I think he’s better able to allow for a little breathing room with his phrasing and think it’s well done. The third movement for me feels rushed; the opening takes a fast speed but by the time Staier comes out alone, it feels he might not have enough room to breathe. It’s a small matter, but it could also be I am just so used to hearing this one played a little more leisurely.
Arguably the most famous piece here is the symphony; there are already so many good recordings of this. This recording again benefits from the the ensemble and recording engineers achieving a very tight yet transparent synergy between horns/woodwinds and strings.
I am partial to the horn parts in this first movement. In the recapitulation after the development, I’d love for the horns to play bells up and out and belt out their line with their repeated pattern. I think these players could have done it but I haven’t yet come across a recording that lets them have their glorious fun. Yet, still, the first movement is well played, tidy, and should be considered among the finest.
The second movement is one I often skip; it’s beautiful music, but I’m not often captivated with the way many ensembles treat the slower parts. Chauvin doesn’t rush here and while my attention did wane from time to time, they did a nice job with the dynamics especially with what we’d point to as the movement’s climax.
The third movement wakes us up with a fast tempo, as I was expecting from Chauvin. Good terraced dynamics are consistent and well-executed. We can really feel the dance style here with strong beats played consistently more forcefully; I can even picture some dancing going on, albeit it might have to without period costumes. This movement was very enjoyable.
The finale again is the epitome of the orchestral sound I am thinking Mozart had in mind; many orchestras with large string sections bury the woodwinds and horns as “color” in the sound; here, the blend allows the non-stringed instruments to have a more prominent voice which helps punctuate the phrases. I think it’s a big difference from other recordings and one that even if you didn’t enjoy it, is worth hearing for another take on Mozart’s orchestral sound and good balance. The development section permits the sunshine to highlight the horns and I love that they’d let that happen. The tempo is wisely chosen, seems it just right.
Once again, these musicians didn’t just give us a best-hits of Mozart program; they managed to produce what I am betting some will consider reference recordings. I again very much enjoyed listening even if I could quibble about one detail here or another there. Props to the recording engineers for the overall sound quality. Despite the reverb in the hall, there’s still remarkable transparency that survives.
