Mozart: Symphonies 34-36 (SACD)

Although Mozart composed them in his early twenties, the three symphonies presented here can by no means be regarded as early works. These symphonies, written around the time of his departure from Salzburg to Vienna, show that Mozart was able to deliver attractive, varied, orchestrally colorful and characterful music that appealed to a wide variety of public tastes. They also show a young and ambitious composer intent on building an impregnable reputation in Europe's musical capital. These symphonies truly opened a new chapter in Mozart's symphonic output, as he demonstrated his absolute mastery of orchestral writing. In addition to the three symphonies as we know them, this recording also includes a minuet that was possibly intended as part of Symphony No. 34. These three symphonies are performed here by the Philharmonia Orchestra, an ensemble that has performed them with the greatest conductors in its almost 80-year history. The conductor here is the outstanding Mozart musician Michael Collins, whose recordings, especially those dedicated to the Austrian composer's Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quintet, have earned him the highest praise.