Mozart: Serenata Notturna / Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote many addictively catchy and unforgettable melodies in his short but productive life. Of these, the allegro of "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" probably stands as the hardest of all to wrench from the conscious. Everyone can probably hum this tune whether they know anything about it or not. As a case in point, the fictionalized Antonio Saleri plays a mere few bars of this simple melody to the priest in "Amadeus" and the priest instantly recognizes it, to the eternal chagrin of the exaggerated literary device. A few hundred years and probably countless thousands of performances later have vaulted the piece into the western collective unconscious. We probably couldn't forget it if we tried - or even if we wanted to (and we probably don't). Those who think that the world doesn't need yet another recording of this archetypal song should hear Le Concert Des Nations' performance, directed by Jordi Savall, on the inimitable Alia Vox label. This ensemble manages to burst new energy into this piece that we've all heard who knows how many times. Very warm tones, chunky strings and what feels like authentic instrumentation and pacing (i.e, not overly "sauced up" for moderns) justify more than a few additional listens to this classic. The churning allegro moves swiftly. The stirring Romance lilts with beautiful power. The brief Menuetto sounds grand and the spectacular Rondo will sear into and vice grip onto the brain's pleasure centers almost as fervently as the famous allegro. A nice one. The album also includes other Mozart pieces suggested for evening performance. Two of them even include "notturno," Italian for "night time," in their titles. "Serenade in D, Serenata Notturno," an earlier Mozart composition, begins the album with powerful marching percussive thrusts. Its overall mood and tempo, punctuated often with timpani, serves as an interesting companion to "Eine Kline Nachtmusik." Another earlier piece, "Notturno In D Für Vier Orchester" begins with a gorgeous Andante that evokes a serene evening's stroll by a placid lake. The remaining movements also compliment the mood and tone. Both of these serenades use "echo" effects by situating players away from the main ensemble. These effects come across clearly in the recording. Everything wraps up with an intriguing, somewhat beguiling and actually very funny later composition: "Ein Musikalicher Spaß" or "A Musical Joke." Mozart must have had a great time composing this. One can imagine him sitting and giggling Tom Hulce style while writing passages with off key horns and strings braying like sad donkeys. Though obviously not an emotionally moving work, it fully demonstrates that Mozart knew exactly what not to do. It's an ingenious parody. Everything goes wrong. Misplaced emphasis, missed timings, blasé running of scales, uncomfortable disharmonies and some just inexplicable noises bubble up from its deeply flawed structure. Following a litany of satirically uninteresting and clichéd melodies and pointless musical developments the entire thing ends on a remarkably unresolved splat. Those seeking a nudge at the atonal revolution could claim that "it sounds modern." Apparently, no one knows why Mozart wrote it. Maybe just for fun? Or some kind of release? Without sufficient evidence, we're doomed to eternal speculation. Alia Vox typically deals in the time frame of medieval to Baroque, so for them Mozart represents a relatively late period offering. Given the quality of this recording and performance, they should dwell in this region more often. They did also record his Requiem in the early 1990s. Hopefully they will find their way to interpreting and reinvigorating more Mozart masterpieces soon.