ORFEO International – Reviews

Important Releases Briefly Introduced

January 2006

„Schmankerl“ for Mozart-Connaisseurs
Rainer Honeck and the Vienna Classical Players

Rainer Honeck
Foto: ORFEO InternationalRainer Honeck, first violinist of the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and leader of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra since 1984 and of the Vienna Philharmonic since 1992 often performs as soloist at leading centres in Europe, Japan and America. He plays on a Stradivarius violin. Milan Šetana, also member of the Vienna Philharmonic has completed his studies with Alfred Staar and has appeared all over the world at leading festivals. Tobias Lea became principal violist with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1997. The Vienna Classical Players were founded by Martin Kerschbaum in 1995 and are made up for the most part of members of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

The violin concertos KV 216 and 219 were written in a period in which artistic and philosophical trends opposed each other in different parts of Englightenment Europe, with tradition and innovation asserting themselves as equals. The G major Violin Concerto opens up entirely new areas of expression and the A major Concerto is not only bestknown of the series but als the one that most subtly explores the instrument’s expressive nuances. Mozart’s Concertone in C major is influenced by the Italian concerto grosso and the communality of musical ideas shared by father and son find such evident expression as in the Senoia concert ante in E flat major. Arguably the most important piece written by Mozart during his final years in Salzburg.

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