Mozart - Serenades / Capella Savaria On Period Instruments, Zsolt Kallo / Conducted by Nicholas McGegan / Hungaroton Audio CD 2020 / HCD32850

UPC 5991813285027

The Capella Savaria is the oldest chamber orchestra in Hungary to play on authentic instruments, and the ensemble’s latest joint recording with conductor Nicholas McGegan features two Mozart serenades with solo Zsolt Kalló violinist. Serenades were a popular genre in the 18th century, and were usually written for special events (betrothals, weddings, the birth of children in wealthy families). For a court musician like Mozart, serenades represented an excellent source of income: in 1776 he wrote ten such occasional works, including the two pieces on this recording.

Zsolt Kalló is a Hungarian violinist, and the concertmaster and artistic director of Capella Savaria. A student of Eszter Perényi at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Kalló graduated in 1990 with honors, and he continued his studies with Sándor Végh. Kalló has performed with Sonora Hungarica, Concerto Armonico, Aura Musicale, and the Orfeo Ensemble, and he is a founding member of Trio Antiqua and the Authentic Quartet.

Tracklist:

1 - 8  Serenade in D major, K. 250/248b, ''Haffner Serenade''   57:26

9 - 11 Serenade in D major, K. 239, ''Serenata notturna''   11:55

• Conducted by - Nicholas McGegan

In the 18th century concert music and light music were not as far apart as they are today. The same musicians composed both, and even the performers were partly the same people. Mozart was both the Jörg Widmann and the Ed Sheeran of his age, all at the same time. Most of the genres of light music e.g. dance suites, divertimentos, cassatios, and serenades were grouped with concert music. The latter genre involves multi-movement instrumental suites played by somebody to seek the favour of a beloved one usually in the evening, by surprise, or, weather permitting, in the open air to celebrate a name day, a wedding, the birth of a child, a christening ceremony to further elevate mood at the event, and to render the day even more memorable.

Mozart wrote many such pieces (they were a good source of revenue when composed to order), and his works share some important common features: they are light, cheerful, varied, creative, virtuosic, entertaining, and of course of uncompromising artistic standard including several evergreen masterpieces with the only difference that you were not expected to listen to them with your forehead wrinkled, but were allowed to smiley while it played.

The Capella Savaria has now recorded two of these miracles (Haffner-serenade, K. 250/248b; Serenata notturna, K. 239) featuringthe brilliant violin solos of their art director Zsolt Kalló, and conducted by their old friend, and master of unswerving taste, and solid technical skills Nicholas McGegan. They are two works of closely related character from Salzburg from 1776 meaning that Mozart was just twenty when he composed them with apparent ease. We hear two pieces of dreamlike perfection performed with purity, magnificence, and inspiration. The tone is transparent, yet savoury, the accents vivid, the rhythm flexible, and the segmentation evoking chatter. The pieces ooze with merriment, and the performance is affectionate, and full of life. A musical bubble bath.

Kristóf Csengery

Source: Magyar Narancs