George Szell, The Cleveland Orchestra - George Szell Plays and Conducts Mozart (2006)

09 Oct, 11:06
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Artist: George Szell, The Cleveland Orchestra
Title: George Szell Plays and Conducts Mozart
Year Of Release: 2006
Label: Sony Classical
Genre: Classical
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 09:15:09
Total Size: 2.7 Gb
WebSite: Album Preview

Tracklist:

CD 1
Symphony No. 28 in C Major, K. 200 (189k) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
1 I. Allegro spiritoso 05:02
2 II. Andante 04:30
3 III. Menuetto. Allegretto -Trio 03:55
4 IV. Presto 03:45
5 The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492: Overture 03:57
Symphony No. 33 in B-Flat Major, K. 319 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
6 I. Allegro assai 06:11
7 II. Andante moderato 05:48
8 III. Menuetto - Trio 02:53
9 IV. Finale - Allegro assai 04:03

CD 2
Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385 "Haffner" (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
1 I. Allegro con spirito 08:04
2 II. Andante 04:30
3 III. Menuetto 03:09
4 IV. Finale. Presto 03:34
Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major, K. 543 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
5 I. Adagio - Allegro 08:25
6 II. Andante con moto 08:22
7 III. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio 04:00
8 IV. Finale. Allegro 03:51
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550 (1955 Mono Version) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
9 I. Allegro molto 07:49
10 II. Andante 07:55
11 III. Menuetto. Allegretto 04:49
12 IV. Finale. Allegro assai 04:28

CD 3
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
1 I. Molto allegro 08:15
2 II. Andante 08:45
3 III. Menuetto. Allegretto 04:32
4 IV. Finale. Allegro assai 04:38
Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 "Jupiter" (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
5 I. Allegro vivace 08:18
6 II. Andante cantabile 07:32
7 III. Menuetto. Allegretto 04:35
8 IV. Molto Allegro 05:58
9 The Impresario Overture, K. 486 03:58

CD 4
Divertimento No. 2 in D Major, K. 131 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
1 I. Allegro 03:45
2 II. Adagio 04:08
3 III. Menuetto - Trio - Trio II - Trio III 04:50
4 IV. Allegretto 03:15
5 V. Menuetto - Trio I - Trio II 04:08
6 VI. Adagio - Allegro molto - Allegro assai 05:20
Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 "Jupiter" (1955 Mono Version) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
7 I. Allegro molto 08:17
8 II. Andante cantabile 08:03
9 III. Menuetto. Allegretto 04:46
10 IV. Molto allegro 05:54

CD 5
Sinfonia concertante in E-Flat Major, K. 364 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
1 I. Allegro maestoso 12:58
2 II. Andante 12:01
3 III. Presto 05:58
Exsultate Jubilate, K. 165 (158a) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
4 I. Allegro 05:23
5 II. Andante 07:41
6 III. Allegro 02:28
Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major, K. 543 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
7 I. Adagio - Allegro 07:48
8 II. Andante con moto 08:15
9 III. Menuetto. Allegretto 03:44
10 IV. Finale. Allegro 03:43

CD 6
Serenade No. 13 in G major, K. 525, "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
1 I. Allegro 05:47
2 II. Romance. Andante 05:16
3 III. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio 02:07
4 IV. Rondo. Allegro 04:08
Sérénade No. 9 in D Major, K. 320 "Posthorn" (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
5 I. Adagio maestoso - Allegro con spirito 07:32
6 II. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio 04:25
7 III. Concertante. Andante grazioso 07:30
8 IV. Rondeau. Allegro ma non troppo 05:28
9 V. Andantino 05:29
10 VI. Menuetto - Trio I - Trio II 05:05
11 VII. Finale. Presto 03:53

CD 7
Divertimento No. 17 in D major, K. 334 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
1 I. Allegro 07:17
2 II. Tema mit Variationen. Andante 09:17
3 III. Menuetto 04:45
4 IV. Adagio 06:40
5 V. Menuetto 05:41
6 VI. Rondo. Allegro 09:45
7 Requiem: LacrimosaRobert Shaw 03:57
8 Minuet in C major, K 409 (383f)Erich Leinsdorf 03:54

CD 8
Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
1 I. Allegro 12:27
2 II. Adagio 07:45
3 III. Rondo. Allegro 08:49
Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
4 I. Allegro maestoso 14:36
5 II. Andante 07:28
6 III. Allegretto 07:58

CD 9
Sonata No. 7 in F Major for Piano and Violin, K. 376 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
1 I. Allegro 05:02
2 II. Andante 05:26
3 III. Rondò. Allegretto grazioso 06:14
Violin Sonata in G Major, K.301/293a (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
4 I. Allegro con spirito 07:58
5 II. Allegro 04:33
Violin Sonata in E Minor, K. 304/300c (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
6 I. Allegro 06:52
7 II. Tempo di Menuetto 05:04
Violin Sonata in C Major, K. 296 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
8 I. Allegro vivace 06:02
9 II. Andante sostenuto 06:25
10 III. Rondo. Allegro 04:15

CD 10
Piano Quartet in G minor, K. 478 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
1 I. Allegro 07:26
2 II. Andante 06:38
3 III. Rondo 06:31
Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, K. 493 (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
4 I. Allegro 07:11
5 II. Larghetto 06:44
6 III. Allegretto 07:53

Performers:
The Cleveland Orchestra
George Szell

George Szell may not, on the surface, seem the ideal Mozartean. Over the years, his reputation has been twisted into a caricature - that of a teutonic taskmaster for whom musicality was less important than technical perfection. What a shame, because George Szell was first and foremost a musician. With this CD, Szell's reputation for hardness is belied by his warm, witty, agile, articulate - and humane - readings of a generous sampling of Mozart's music - including six works on which Szell himself performs as pianist!

Digitally remastered, this disc contains, along with some of Mozart's more famous works, some exquisite rarities: the seldom recorded Symphonies 28 and 33, the Overture to Der Schauspieldirektor, and the Divertimento in D (K. 334). It goes without saying that these works are performed to perfection; what many may find unexpected is how humane, witty, and joyous they sound.

Szell was well known for his absolute insistence on transparency and phrasing - in his day it was seen as an eccentricity. But today, with the HIP movement in the ascendancy, Szell's interpretations must be surely be seen as prescient. These performances are lean, taut, with minimal vibrato and rubato. His focus on articulation and transparency - once considered slightly outre - serves Mozart very well in these readings.

Szell's Mozart is light, without being weak; effervescent, without being glib; and articulate without resorting to pedantry. The word that best describes these performances may very well be "Beechamesque."

The Piano Concerto (No. 25) with Leon Fleischer, and the Sinfonia Concertante (K. 364) are also a lot of fun - these recordings have been remastered and sound so much better than their earlier Analogue to CD transfers. The two Serenades are also well executed. No. 13 is played with a chamber orchestra, but thanks to Szell's trademark transparency, the piece somehow retains its light, agile character. No. 9, "Posthorn," is also played with the same dexterity and attention to detail.

Szell was not only one of the world's best conductors, he was also a concert-grade pianist. Like Leonard Bernstein and Georg Solti, Szell had true musical credibility - he could back it up, as it were, because he was every bit as good a player as any of those under his baton.

Here, Sony gives us Szell on Piano in four of Mozart's Sonatas for Piano and Violin (he is joined in all four by Rafael Druian on Violin), and two Quartets (Szell on Piano joined by the Budapest String Quartet). These performances are brimming with vitality and spark. They are more than just curiosities - Szell absolutely could have had a career as a concert pianist, and a good one too.

Regarding the sound, the engineers at Sony have succeeded tremendously at cleaning and burnishing these recordings from the early days of stereo (and mono for K. 478 and 493). The result is clean, close, and very, very clear (if slightly dry). The presence is outstanding. You would never guess this disc was comprised of recordings from the 1960's - and in the case of the two Szell/Budapest quartets, the 1940s.

Enthusiastically recommended, not only Mozart aficionados, but for anyone who appreciates true artistic genius.

⭑ ALL MY RELEASES ⭑