Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenata; Eine kleine nachtmusik; Posthorn; Haffner in Bloomington, MN

The word "Serenade" is often taken as one of the small occasional genres associated with
Mozart
and not sharply differentiated from the others (divertimento, cassation, etc.). However, the informative booklet for this release by the
Münchener Kammerorchester
shows that the Viennese of
's time had something specific in mind for it; it was an orchestral piece, played outdoors at night ("sometimes at one o'clock in the morning and even later), made up either of original music or quotations of popular tunes of the day. So there is something to be said for examining what
had in mind.
Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525
, is much more often known by that name than by
Serenade No. 13
, but it is an interesting question as to why
used that term. In any event, the performances here are state-of-the-art
, with a mix of modern and historical instruments and a general influence of historical performance from conductor
Enrico Onofri
. He avoids vibrato, but he doesn't let this interfere with his ability to bring a good deal of grace and charm to the music. The highlight here may be the
Serenade No. 7 in D major ("Haffner'), K. 250
, an exuberant production of the young
that shows him breaking through formal boundaries with a gigantic ten-minute-plus finale. This work can easily drag, but it doesn't here.
Onofri
composes some varied repeats for solo violinist
Isabelle Faust
, and these might be debated. Overall, this is a satisfying
recording with plenty of fresh ideas. ~ James Manheim