Sinfonia Concertante 364, Rondos KV 382 & 386, Horn Concerto Number 2 KV 417

Description

This 9th volume of the "Next Generation Mozart Soloists" series brings together four young soloists, under the direction of Howard Griffiths, and showcases the creative abundance of the Salzburg genius. It was in Paris in 1778 that Mozart likely heard for the first time a work described as a symphony concertante, in which a group of solo instruments interacts with an orchestra. The following year, he composed a work for violin, viola, and orchestra: the Sinfonia concertante, KV 364, recorded here by Johan Dalene and Eivind Ringstad, who praises "the way Mozart treats the viola on equal footing with the violin." In Vienna, Mozart composed no fewer than four horn concertos, of which this is the first in chronological order, performed by Alexandre Zanetta: he claims to be fascinated by "its subtleties, complex details, and humor." As for pianist Ariel Lanyi, he describes the two rondos for piano and orchestra KV 382 and KV 386 as "perfect examples of simplicity, variety, and operatic traits."