Mozart: Haffner Serenade; Ein musikalischer Spass

by Michael Alexander Willens, Koelner Akademie

Overview

The Koelner Akademie and conductor Michael Alexander Willens have emerged as reliable makers of Classical-era performances on period instruments. Consider this release, featuring Mozart's big "Haffner" Serenade, the Serenade in D major, K. 250. Nearly an hour long, it is essentially a symphony with an interpolated concerto or sinfonia concertante, with lots of solo parts. There are plenty of recordings of this cheerful work, but few that balance these solo parts, including violin and horns, so well, and the result is a reading that catches small details of Mozart's subtle wit. The wit is broader in Mozart's A Musical Joke, K. 522 (Ein musikalischer Spass, perhaps better translated as "Musical Fun"), where the composer pokes fun at his less competent competitors. No other composer has ever written anything quite like this, and in performance, it is difficult to strike a balance between mugging and missing the humor. Willens, performing the version of the work for small chamber ensemble, strikes this balance nicely. With excellent sound from the Deutschlandfunk Kammermusiksaal in Cologne, this makes a good choice for those wanting to sample the work of the Koelner Akademie. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	02/07/2020
Label:	Bis
UPC:	7318599923949
Rank:	12480

Tracks

1. March in D major, K 249
2. Serenade in D major, 'Haffner', K250~I. Serenata. Allegro maestoso - Allegro molto
3. Serenade in D major, 'Haffner', K250~II. Andante
4. Serenade in D major, 'Haffner', K250~III. Menuetto -Trio - Menuetto
5. Serenade in D major, 'Haffner', K250~IV. Rondeau. Allegro
6. Serenade in D major, 'Haffner', K250~V. Menuetto galante - Trio - Menuetto
7. Serenade in D major, 'Haffner', K250~VI. Andante
8. Serenade in D major, 'Haffner', K250~VII. Menuetto - Trio I - Menuetto - Trio II - Menuetto
9. Serenade in D major, 'Haffner', K250~VIII. Adagio - Allegro assai
10. Ein musikalischer Spa¿¿, K 522 for 2 violins, viola, bass and 2 horns~I. Allegro
11. Ein musikalischer Spa¿¿, K 522 for 2 violins, viola, bass and 2 horns~II. Menuetto - Trio - Menuetto
12. Ein musikalischer Spa¿¿, K 522 for 2 violins, viola, bass and 2 horns~III. Andante cantabile
13. Ein musikalischer Spa¿¿, K 522 for 2 violins, viola, bass and 2 horns~IV. Presto

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Michael Alexander Willens   Primary Artist,Conductor
Koelner Akademie   Primary Artist,Orchestra
Alexander Janiczek   Violin

Technical Credits

Tetsuro Kanai   Post Production Editor,Engineer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart   Composer
John Irving   Liner Notes
David Kornfeld   Cover Design
Robert Suff   Executive Producer
Jean-Pascal Vachon   Liner Note Translation
Guarneri del Gesu   Instrument Design
Kirsten Nijhof   Photography
Claerchen Baus   Photography
Andrew Barnett   Typesetting
Horst A. Scholz   Liner Note Translation
Thore Brinkmann   Post Production Mix,Producer,Recording Producer
Jochen Hubmacher   Executive Producer