MOZART CLARINET CONCERTO K.622 & OBOE CONCERTO K.314 - RATED 5-STARS ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
CLARINET CONCERTO K.622 & OBOE CONCERTO K.314
ANTHONY PAY,Clarinet & MICHEL PIGUET,Oboe
CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD, CONDUCTOR
ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC (AAM)

RATED 5-STARS by classical music critics/enthusiasts as the numero uno authentic period-instrument interpretations of MOZART'S CLARINET CONCERTO K.622 & OBOE CONCERTO K.314! This CD by the ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC (AAM), one of the world's first and numero uno critically acclaimed classical period instrument orchestras, is a MUST HAVE CD FOR ALL MOZART AFICIONADOS!

CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD is a world-famous English conductor, harpsichordist, writer, and scholar of classical music. In 1973, Christopher Hogwood founded the ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC (AAM), one of the world's first and foremost period-instrument orchestras. Concerts across six continents and over 250 recordings since its formation by Christopher Hogwood demonstrate the AAM's pre-eminence in the music of the period 1600-1850, from Monteverdi to Mendelssohn.

This magnificently artistic CD features ANTHONY PAY playing an authentic period instrument basset clarinet MOZART'S CLARINET CONCERTO K. 622 and MICHEL PIGUET playing an authentic period instrument oboe on MOZART'S OBOE CONCERTO K.314. It is clearly evident that ANTHONY PAY and MICHEL PIGUET are virtuosos of original period instruments. Artfully conducted by CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD, PAY'S and PIGUET'S playing is balanced, lyrically beautiful, the timbre of the older original period instruments is softer than modern classical instruments, and the subtly nuanced sound on wind instruments is clearly detailed.

It would be hard to find more appealing treatments of Mozart's wind concertos than these from Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music, featuring a distinguished group of period-instrument soloists. Leading the way, and playing a deliciously mellow-sounding basset clarinet, Anthony Pay gives a splendid account of what is surely Mozart's most beautiful concerto, the Clarinet Concerto in A, K. 622. Pay's shadings are soft and natural, his embellishments simply marvelous, and he and Hogwood are right on the mark when it comes to tempo, expression, and accent.

Two of Mozart's Greatest Concertos
While I have never particularly favored authentic instrument recordings over modern ones, there is no doubt that this disc is a must-have for any Mozart enthusiast.The liner notes are essential reading, and the performances of the soloists and the Academy of Ancient Music are in a word, impeccable. To hear these magical pieces performed on many original instruments, especially an oboe crafted in 1783, is an enlightening listening experience that is rare today. The remarkable adagio of the clarinet concerto, composed by Mozart in 1791, is some of the most poignant music I've ever heard, brilliantly performed by Antony Pay with warm liquid tones on the bass clarinet. No Mozart collection is complete without this landmark recording from 1984.

Mozart: Clarinet Concert
A nice record by the Academy of Ancient Music.
Using original instruments or copy`s, they produce a sound image quite diferent from what we are use to hear, especially on the clarinet concert.
The CD comes with a very good booklet; telling the story behind the record in English, French and German.
A record not unly for the few, but for all lovers of brilliant music. And of course MOZART.

I can hear Pay's clarinet key pads sticking............
There is no doubt this is a fine performance of both the clarinet and oboe concertos but could somebody please inform Mr. Pay (and the recording engineers, and the rest of the world for that matter) that a few of his clarinet key pads seem to be sticking. This "key-pad-sticking" annoys me to no end and sounds like I'm listening to a long play record that is covered with lint and dust. SNAP.....CRACKLE.....POP!!! I would have easily given this review a "5-star" rating if it weren't for the key-pad nuisances. I used to play B flat clarinet, bass clarinet and contra bass clarinet for ten years so I know a thing or two about clarinets.

One of Hogwood's best Mozarts
This CD is a successful coming-together of two of Mozart's best concerti, two brilliant soloists and some very good conducting.

More often than not, the Oboe Concerto in C is heard in its flute version - transposed to the key of D. This recording presents Mozart's original layout of the oboe concerto played with period instruments or accurate replicas. The bold stability of the key of C major suits the optimism of this concerto, composed in what many call Mozart's mid-period. Fresh yet mature, the language is extremely expressive. The contrast between the three movements goes to the heart of 18th-Century theory on dramatic contrasts - with the confident Allegro, the lyric Adagio and the bouncy Allegretto.

Tempo choice is impeccable. Orchestral textures come across as vibrant and dynamic thanks to the consummate experience of the Academy of Ancient Music, one of the premier Baroque orchestras. But the playing of Michel Piguet is what really sets this performance apart. The sheer fire he puts into the solo makes this music as current and heartfelt as if he really "lived it." His sound is full and expressive, and his choice of cadenzas nothing short of exquisite. The climax to the high "e" in the first movement's cadenza - and the way Piguet reaches it - is delightful.

The Clarinet Concerto brings the listener to another mood - that of Mozart's more somber "third period." Compared to the oboe concerto, the tones are darker, the melodic phrases longer and the counterpoint between the solo and the orchestral voices more complex and pronounced.

One of the important things that sets this CD apart is this. Mozart did not write this piece for a conventional clarinet (in A or Bb) - but for an experimental hybrid instrument capable of extending the clarinet's normal range down to a low and eerie bass register. This instrument, the "Basset Clarinet" was reconstructed for this recording and played masterfully by Anthony Pay.

Thus, the many passages that were transposed an octave higher to suit the modern clarinet (losing most of their dramatic flare) have been restored to their proper pitch - much to the music's advantage. Hear the basset clarinet's "dialogues" between its high and low register, close your eyes and imagine a soprano and a baritone exchanging lines in a sublime opera...

Good choice on continuo playing too. Rather than conducting from the podium as modern conductors do, Hogwood conducts from the harpsichord and the fortepiano respectively. This adds yet more contrast to the different colors of the two concerti - the first brighter, the second rounder and more sedate.

Overall, an excellent CD, that combines great musicological research with expressiveness, fire and passion.