Notes and Editorial Reviews
MOZART
Le nozze di Figaro:
Overture.
Cosi fan tutti:
Overture.
La finta giardiniera:
Overture.
Der Schauspieldirektor:
Overture.
Idomeneo:
Overture.
Die Zauberflöte:
Overture.
Il re pastore:
Overture.
Lucio Silla:
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class="ARIAL12"> Overture.
La clemenza di Tito:
Overture.
Don Giovanni:
Overture.
Bastien und Bastienne:
Overture,
Die Entführung aus dem Serail:
Overture
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Yehudi Menuhin, cond; Lausanne CO
•
VIRGIN 63284 (62:03)
I could be mistaken, but this disc is unique in offering a collection of Mozart overtures to his operas—12 of them, and nothing else. There are 22 Mozart operas, so this is slightly more than half. One of the last century’s greatest violinists, Yehudi Menuhin, shows his strength here as a conductor, and perhaps equally so as the originator of a unique disc program.
This recording was made in 1990. The sound is excellent, and the performances are simply good Mozart. The detail of Mozart’s part-writing is clearly discernable. A cynic might say that this is opera for those who don’t like singing, but I’m not such a cynic. The well-known operas (and some operas not so well known) are represented. Three of the overtures were new to me (
La finta giardiniera, Der Schauspieldirektor
or
The Impressario
, and
Lucio Silla
), but this represents my ignorance rather than acts of mere padding by Menuhin. In fact, all of this music is very good Mozart.
The earliest overture represented is the remarkable
Bastien und Bastienne
(K 50), a product of Mozart’s 12th year. This is the briefest of the overtures, not quite two minutes in length, which is probably a consequence of the short attention span typical of a preteen. The curious thing about
Bastien und Bastienne
is its opening phrase, which is almost identical to that of the first movement of Beethoven’s “Eroica” (starting at the third bar in the Beethoven). Was this coincidence, or subconscious appropriation, or outright plagiarism on Beethoven’s part, or perhaps a tribute to Mozart?
The only fault I can find is that nowhere in any of the listings of these overtures are the Köchel Catalog numbers. Get this disc if you don’t already have it from an earlier release.
FANFARE: Burton Rothleder
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Works on This Recording
1.
Lucio Silla, K 135: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1772; Milan, Italy
2.
Die Zauberflöte, K 620: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1791; Vienna, Austria
3.
Le nozze di Figaro, K 492: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1786; Vienna, Austria
4.
Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K 384: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1782; Vienna, Austria
5.
La finta giardiniera, K 196: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1775; Munich, Germany
6.
Don Giovanni, K 527: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1787; Prague, Czech Republ
7.
La clemenza di Tito, K 621: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1791; Prague, Czech Republ
8.
Idomeneo, K 366: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1781; Munich, Germany
9.
Così fan tutte, K 588: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1790; Vienna, Austria
10.
Bastien und Bastienne, K 50 (46a): Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1768; Vienna, Austria
11.
Il rè pastore, K 208: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1775; Salzburg, Austria
12.
Der Schauspieldirektor, K 486: Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor:
Yehudi Menuhin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra
Period: Classical
Written: 1786; Vienna, Austria
Sound Samples
Lucio Silla K.135 - Overture
Die Zauberflöte K.620 - Overture
Le nozze di Figaro K.492 - Overture
En Entführung aus dem Serail K.384 - Overture
La Finta Giardiniera K.196 - Overture
Don Giovanni K.527 - Overture
La clemenza di Tito K.621 - Overture
Idomeneo K.366 - Overture
Così fan tutte K.588 - Overture
Bastien und Bastienne K.50 - Overture
Il re pastore K.208 - Overture
Der Schauspieldirektor K.486 - Overture
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