Saturday, December 6, 2008

November podcast

The busiest and most successful period in the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the five-year span following his permanent move from Salzburg to Vienna in March 1781. Mozart’s fame reached its height during the next few years. His piano concertos, in particular, were popular, and there were many subscribers willing to pay to hear the young man perform these brilliant, elegant works. Most of his concerts took place during Lent, when theatrical productions were forbidden. One of the peaks of Mozart’s activity came in the Lenten season of 1784, when he gave concerts on three successive Wednesdays beginning March 17. The Quintet in E-flat, K.452 was first performed on April 1, along with two Piano Concertos: No. 15 in B-flat, K.450, and No. 16 in D, K.451. At the time he considered these “the best work he ever composed.” (From the program note by Robert Kirzinger)

MOZART Quintet in E-flat for piano and winds, K.452 (recorded live 11/15/08)
Jennifer Montbach, oboe
Eran Egozy, clarinet
Gregory Newton, bassoon
Anne Howarth, horn
Robert Levin, piano
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3

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