Concentus Musicus Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt - Mozart: The Last Symphonies (2014)

Harnoncourt regards the last three symphonies as one whole work, which he calls Mozart’s ‘Instrumental Oratorium’. Sony Classical present Harnoncourt’s final recording of these works, with a fascinating new interpretation. In terms of structure, he argues that the first movement of the Symphony No. 39 is the Prelude of the ‘Instrumental Oratorium’, whilst the last movement of the Symphony No. 41 is the Finale. He points out that the Symphony No. 39 has no real ending, whilst the Symphony No. 40 has no real beginning, and only the Symphony No. 41 has a Finale. There are a number of factors which Harnoncourt points to as further proof of his new interpretation – musical themes which are evident throughout all three symphonies, Mozart’s intense knowledge of the oratorios of Bach and Handel, the fact that Mozart wrote the works without a commission (which he didn’t do for any other works) all in one summer, and that he didn’t write any more symphonies during the following 3 years of his life, until his death – this was his last statement. Recorded for the first time with Harnoncourt’s own ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien, which he founded in 1953.