# Which works by Mozart do you come back to again and again?



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

I'm starting a renewed exploration of Mozart's music. I know some of it fairly well, but I'm not THAT versed in his oeuvre,

So, I'm hoping you'll help me out and let me know of the pieces (and RECORDINGS) that you love so much that you return to them over and over.

If possible, please keep your lists a bit smaller and manageable to help focus my listening.

Sincere thanks!!!


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I'm sorry if my list is too long, but I consider this a very shortened version.

Symphonies: 38,40,41
Piano Concertos: 20,21,23,24,25
Sinfonia Concertante
String Quintets: 2 (in C) and 3 (in G minor)
Operas: Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni
Other Concertos: Clarinet, Violin No. 5
Vocal: Requiem, Mass in C minor
Serenades: Posthorn, Wind Serenade in B (KV361)

There are, of course, many others I think are sublime, but we'll stick with these for now.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

20centrfuge said:


> I'm starting a renewed exploration of Mozart's music. I know some of it fairly well, but I'm not THAT versed in his oeuvre,
> 
> So, I'm hoping you'll help me out and let me know of the pieces (and RECORDINGS) that you love so much that you return to them over and over.
> 
> ...


I too have been exploring Mozart again, really focussing in the Mozart / Haydn quartets, my interest was reawakened because someone gave me the performances by the Quatuor Cambini Paris. I've enjoyed The Peterson Quartet in the past, and recordings by Chiaroscuro and Ebene, but right now Cambini are proving rather stimulating.

And the other thing I revisited was the 24th Piano Concerto. All the magic was gone when I first went back to it, especially in the first movement with its interminable passage work. Then someone gave me an extraordinary performance by Dimitri Bashkirov and maybe for the first time I could see why it's such interesting music.

But to answer your question properly, the piece which I have a special affection for is the 27th piano concerto, and I really can't explain why. There are a couple of performances which I keep coming back to - one by Gilels on Vista Vera for example, with Gilels directing the orchestra. And another with a reduced orchestra by Daniel Isoir, which is extremely sensual to hear.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Clarinet concerto
Piano concertos 20-27
Requiem
Clarinet quintet


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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

I return to his chamber music a lot. Also his 'divertimenti' such as this one:





The opening could easily put one off because i sounds so typically Mozartian, but the minuet movements are perfect examples of his mastery of instrumentation and orchestration. The horn quartet and woodwinds in the first minuet and trio is classic Mozart.

This string trio (divertimento) is a good example of how Mozart achieves great effects with the medium without having to constantly use an array of chords with intervals liable to give the players finger strain. As a string player himself he would have known how to write for them.

I also revisit his piano sonatas a lot, especially K332 in F major. The opening and closing movements give any of Beethoven's keyboard sonatas a run for their money. Then there's the theme of the adagio (the minor section of which was later lifted by Alexandre Desplat for his Girl with the Pearl Earring soundtrack).


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## polaci (Jul 10, 2015)

Quintet for Piano and Winds (oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon) in E-flat major, K.452


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Marriage of Figaro; Don Giovanni; Piano Concerto No. 23; Great Mass in C minor; Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat Major for Violin & Viola; various Concert Arias for soprano and orchestra.


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## Bertali (Jul 14, 2017)

Die Zauberflöte with Berliner Philharmoniker and Herbert von Karajan.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

Bertali said:


> Die Zauberflöte with Berliner Philharmoniker and Herbert von Karajan.
> 
> View attachment 96021


double double like


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

*Piano Concertos:* 9,10,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,27
*Opera*: Idomeneo, Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, Don Giovanni and the Magic Flute
*Choral Music*: Requiem, Great Mass in C minor, Coronation Mass, and Waisenhausmesse (Orphanage Mass)
*Clarinet Quintet*
*Clarinet Concerto*
*String Quintets:* 3,4,5
*Violin Concertos: * 3,4,5
*Other concertos*: Sinfonia Concertante 364 and Flute & Harp Concerto
*String Quartets*: the 6 Haynd Quartets, Hoffmeister, and the 3 Prussian Quartets
*Symphonies*: 25,29,31,35,36,38,39,40,41
*Flute Quartet*: No.1
*Piano Quartet*: 1 and 2
*Serenedes*: 9 (Posthorn), 10(Gran Partita), and 12
*Divertimenti* K. 563 (aka the famous string trio) and K. 334 (a hidden gem)
*Miscellaneous arias and duets :*
_"Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!" 
"Ch'io mi scordi di te? … Non temer, amato bene" 
"Popoli di Tessaglia! … Io non chiedo, eterni Dei" 
"Ridente la calma"
"Ruhe Sanft, Mein Holdes Leben" _(from Zaide)
_"Se viver non degg'io"_ (from Mitridate)
_"Dal tuo gentil sembiante"_ (from Ascanio in Alba)
(really, just try to explore his early operas in "highlight" discs, there are many great arias there)

*Some miscellaneous masterpieces:*
_Exsultate, jubilate _(motet)
_Ave verum Corpus_ (motet)
Cassation in G major K.63 (an early miracle, check out the Adagio!)
Rondo for Piano and Orchestra K.386
Sonata for 2 Pianos in D Major K.448
Adagio & Fugue in C Minor K.546
Eine Kleine Gigue K.574
Adagio in B minor K.540
Rondo in A minor K.511
Rondo for Violin and Orchestra K.373
Fugue in G Minor, K.401
Prelude and Fugue K.394

The dude is a freaking genius :-s, with the piano concertos and the operas alone he could have established himself a great name in the Classic era. Now adding on other stuffs...


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Symphony #40 - James Levine


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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

While I was looking up that divertimento I stumbled upon this violin/viola duet... Was there any limit to this man's talents?


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

eugeneonagain said:


> I return to his chamber music a lot. Also his 'divertimenti' such as this one:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The variations movement in this trio is fun -- same for the variations in The Gran Partita.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

eugeneonagain said:


> While I was looking up that divertimento I stumbled upon this violin/viola duet... Was there any limit to this man's talents?


Check out the duo in B-Flat K.424


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## classfolkphile (Jun 25, 2017)

Piano Concertos 20-23
Clarinet Concerto
String Quartet Nos. 16-19 and the String Quintets
Marriage of Figaro & arias from various other operas
The Requiem, in both Choral/Orchestral & String Quartet versions
The Serenades for Strings, and Winds


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

I sometimes feel like listening to Five Divertimentos in B-flat major K. 439b. Very soothing, almost celestial at times. The pieces had been published as trios for 3 basset horns, for 2 basset horns and bassoon, and for 2 clarinets and bassoon. Most likely the composer intended them to be played by 3 basset horns. What I have is a recording by de Graaf / Jansen / Steinman, 2 clarinets & bassoon. It is very good, but I also want to hear a good version by 3 basset horns. Arrangement for 2 guitars (Sharpe Zohn duo) is also nice.

I often come back to the late piano concertos, too.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

20centrfuge said:


> I'm starting a renewed exploration of Mozart's music. I know some of it fairly well, but I'm not THAT versed in his oeuvre,
> 
> So, I'm hoping you'll help me out and let me know of the pieces (and RECORDINGS) that you love so much that you return to them over and over.


Face it! If you are serious about listening to Mozart's music, you'll eventually seek it all out. You'll then have favorites and less favorites. But you'll realize the music contains so much magic that it's hard to compile "short lists" of favorite Mozart, or of Mozart you often revisit.
I spent an anniversary year some years back listening to all of Mozart, at least one work every day of that year till I covered every work in the Brilliant Classics "Complete Mozart" box set (170 discs), starting with his K.1 on January 1st and ending with the Requiem on December 31. I found a lot to favor in that listening year.
Since then I probably most return to the Piano Concerti, the Violin Concerti, several of the symphonies and quartets. But Mozart remains regular ear diet for me, even though I'm a big fan of contemporary music. 
So ... if you need a place to start, try my favorite Mozart work, the Oboe Quartet in F. Can't go wrong there.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

There are many Mozart works I keep returning to; I'll just list my absolute favorites:

Magic Flute
Piano Concerto no. 17
Requiem
Great Mass in C minor


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Piano Concertos 21, 20, 23
Clarinet Quintet
Violin Concertos 3 and 5
Quartets dedicated to Haydn


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

The late symphonies (and a few middle ones), the paino concertos, the Clarinet Concerto and (surprisingly for me as I'm not an opera fan) the Magic Flute.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

silentio said:


> *Piano Concertos:* 9,10,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,27
> *Opera*: Idomeneo, Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, Don Giovanni and the Magic Flute
> *Choral Music*: Requiem, Great Mass in C minor, Coronation Mass, and Waisenhausmesse (Orphanage Mass)
> *Clarinet Quintet*
> ...


Yes. There's a lot. I could take nothing but Mozart to L'isle joyeuse and be content for the rest of my life!


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

SONNET CLV said:


> Face it! If you are serious about listening to Mozart's music, you'll eventually seek it all out. You'll then have favorites and less favorites. But you'll realize the music contains so much magic that it's hard to compile "short lists" of favorite Mozart, or of Mozart you often revisit.
> I spent an anniversary year some years back listening to all of Mozart, at least one work every day of that year till I covered every work in the Brilliant Classics "Complete Mozart" box set (170 discs), starting with his K.1 on January 1st and ending with the Requiem on December 31. I found a lot to favor in that listening year.
> Since then I probably most return to the Piano Concerti, the Violin Concerti, several of the symphonies and quartets. But Mozart remains regular ear diet for me, even though I'm a big fan of contemporary music.
> So ... if you need a place to start, try my favorite Mozart work, the Oboe Quartet in F. Can't go wrong there.


wow you listened the brilliant classics set

how did you get on with the disc of canons?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Piano concertos, Operas, Chamber music, but my overall favourite : Masonic music.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

There have been many great works listed above that are on my list as well. I have not seen any of Mozart's horn concertos listed above though. I've come to enjoy them quite a bit here recently. Of course, maybe I'm inclined to pick those because I'm horny! :lol::devil:

Mozart's Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major is worth mentioning too.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Klassik said:


> There have been many great works listed above that are on my list as well. I have not seen any of Mozart's horn concertos listed above though. I've come to enjoy them quite a bit here recently. Of course, maybe I'm inclined to pick those because I'm horny! :lol::devil:
> 
> Mozart's Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major is worth mentioning too.


In short, buy the whole shebang . :angel:


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Pugg said:


> In short, buy the whole shebang . :angel:


There's a reason why the Mozart complete set was the number #1 selling CD amongst all genres last year! Of course, they count each CD in the set as one CD sold, but still, people are willing to pay to get their hands on a lot of Mozart music!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Klassik said:


> There's a reason why the Mozart complete set was the number #1 selling CD amongst all genres last year! Of course, they count each CD in the set as one CD sold, but still, people are willing to pay to get their hands on a lot of Mozart music!


The older Philips was good enough for me, you should see the ridiculous prices they ask on Amazon.
( The new one is a very disappointing one, the only thing what's interesting is the booklets, the rest all simple slipcases )


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## Rosie (Jul 4, 2016)

Symphony no 25 and the piano sonatas <3 :kiss:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

A very honourable mention must go to the "naughty " songs. :lol:


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## ST4 (Oct 27, 2016)

Mozart, hmm. Not a fan but these particularly:

Requiem
Piano Concerto #27
Symphony 41
Wind Serenades 
That fantasie (I think) in C Minor (the one with lots of weird key-changes) 


By "do you come back to again and again?" for me would mean, when I listen to Mozart, these are the pieces that I want to listen to the most.


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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

ST4 said:


> That fantasie (I think) in C Minor (the one with lots of weird key-changes)


D minor perhaps? The one that starts ominously, but ends up in a jolly major key?


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

SONNET CLV said:


> Face it! If you are serious about listening to Mozart's music, you'll eventually seek it all out.


Then I guess I am not serious about it, because there is an ocean of music to experience before I will dive into his immature early stuff.


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Symphony 40 (various versions)

Later half of the string quartets (Quarteto Italiano)


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

hpowders said:


> Marriage of Figaro; Don Giovanni; Piano Concerto No. 23; Great Mass in C minor; Sinfonia Concertante in E Flat Major for Violin & Viola; various Concert Arias for soprano and orchestra.


Nice list!

WHOOPS!! It's MY list!!!

I HATE DOING THAT!!! :lol::lol::lol:

Why can't we delete "mistake posts??"


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

stomanek said:


> wow you listened the brilliant classics set
> 
> *how did you get on with the disc of canons*?


Are you sure you're not mistaking that box set for the old Mercury Living Presence recording with Antal Dorati and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra playing Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture?









I _loved_ the cannon. And those bells, too!

---
Then again, you may be referring to









I'm playing the disc now. (I'll admit that I haven't played it since my Mozart excursion year. I actually kept a diary of that year to track the works and days -- which would make a great title for the book on the project, except I think some guy named Hesiod already used it: _Works and Days_, a work which remains "Greek to me".)

The disc, Vol. 8 Number 1 in the box set, features 41 tracks of instrumental and sung "canons". And there is some variety. Though I recall (as I listen now) that I enjoyed the opening track "Adagio" KV410, a purely instrumental work. Following it are several vocal pieces, in German. Great to help work on one's Deutsch!

I have long admired the canon form, since first hearing the Pachelbel Canon in D on that most ubiquitous Musical Heritage Disc which the mail order record club used to give away for joining. I know a sophisticated listener like me is not supposed to like that piece, but I do. I've also enjoyed singing "Row Row Row Your Boat" in a round when I was a kid. So what do I know? And I remain a fan of Gorecki's Third Symphony with its remarkable first movement canon played on strings.

I just glanced at the disc player. It is currently playing track 8. And I think I've had enough for today. Track 8 is titled "Leck mich I'm Arsch" KV231, and reminds me that there are times when I admit my German is not too good. So I won't translate that for anyone. But I will say it is followed by a Kyrie, KV 89, an Alleluia, KV 553, and an Ave Maria, KV 554. So one can see that the works range the span of Mozart's oeuvre. From early KV numbers to the later ones, I mean.

I think I'll put on that Tchaikovsky disc now. For some reason I have need to clean out my ears with some bells and cannon shots.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Pretty much everything I listen to by Mozart I always return to..


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## dillonp2020 (May 6, 2017)

I have, and sadly neglect, the new Mozart 225 box. I listen to Don Giovanni more than any other composition of Wolfgang.


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Violin Concerto 3, K216
Violin Concerto 4, K218
Piano Concerto 15, K450
Piano Concerto 16, K451
Piano Concerto 17, K453
Piano Concerto 19, K459
Piano Concerto 23, K488
Piano Concerto 24, K491
Clarinet Concerto, K622
Sinfonia Concertante, K364
Trio in E Flat for Clarinet,Viola,Piano-"Kegelstatt"- K498
Piano Trio 3, K502
Divertimento for Violin,Viola,Cello, K563
Piano Quartet 2, K493
String Quartet 20-"Hoffmeister"-K499
Clarinet Quintet-"Stadler"-K581
Quintet For Piano and Winds, K452
String Quintet 3, K515


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

I love virtually all the Mozart Wind Concertos... sparkling, graceful and gorgeous!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Must have for all voice lovers.


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## dzc4627 (Apr 23, 2015)

Clarinet Concerto, Piano Quartet 1, PC 9/13/20, Symphony 36/38/39/41


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

I would like to thank the OP for bringing this topic up. It gave me a chance to have a deeper and wider survey of Mozart's oeuvres. A die-hard fanboy of Mozart, I am still amazed by some of his hidden gems.

For example, although I have always admired the outer movements of the *Posthorn Serenade*, I just recently discovered this Rondeau. Truly the music for the angels to sing and dance to:






You can't praise Mozart enough.


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## Bevo (Feb 22, 2015)

Check out the recordings of Symphonies 38-41 as well as the Clarinet Concerto performed by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra!! LOVE the tempo, clarity of each instrument, and that the repeats are acknowledged (yes I'm one of those :tiphat. There's always any of his Piano Concertos. His Sonata for Two Pianos in D is a fun piece as well, with some interesting facts about it's effect on Epilepsy. The Oboe Quartet and the Overture to Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail are faves, and his Variations on a Minuet by JP Duport in a great little hidden gem in my opinion. The Sonata for Cello and Bassoon is a fun piece too. Ok, I have to stop!! I could go on and on, but try some of those!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The Masonic music, such a variety of nice pieces as a whole, wonderful.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

It all distills down to Don Giovanni, Marriage of Figaro, Cosí fan tutte and the Piano Concerto No. 23.

Let me have just these Mozart works to listen to for the rest of my life in my own chosen performances, and I could make a happy life for myself.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

If I had to select a single Mozart work as indispensable it would be *Cosi Fan Tutte*
The most sublime melodies I've heard.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Violin Concerto No. 4
Haffner Serenade
Sinonia Concertante Op. 297b (woodwinds) and 364 (violin, viola)
Great C Minor Mass K. 427
Solemn Vespers of the Confessor K. 339
Exsultate Jubliate K. 365
Don Giovanni
Coronation Mass
Thomas King Of Egypt KV 345/336a


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## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

At the moment, they are:

Mozart Violin Concerto no 3
Joshua Bell
English Chamber Orchestra 
Conducted by Peter Maag


Symphony no 38 (Prague)
English Chamber Orchestra 
Jeffrey Tate

Familiarizing myself with these two before I watch the Proms on TV Sunday. Playing them every day.
They are also performing Schumann Symphony no 2 which I know quite well.


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