# Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, kv364



## kv466

Which is your favorite? No polls. No right or wrong answers. Just curious.



I've spent the better part of four hours listening to the opening movement of this glorious piece and my favorite is still the same one I've loved since 1984. Sure,...I heard all the big names with the big conductors and big orchestras and they are simply fabulous and wonderful and amazing at times but, for me, the recording that ties everything that should be kv364 together and makes it sweet and tender and light and airy is the recording off of the Amadeus soundtrack by none other than The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner. I don't know if it was made specifically for the film nor any history behind it but I do know that after having heard at least a hundred versions throughout my life (at least 15 this morning), I'm sure that I will die never having heard this piece played so beautifully and I invite and plead for anyone who hasn't partaken in this pleasure to please do so. 

Actually,...the entire soundtrack(s) is of the highest caliber and is sure to please. No Mozart for any piece the Academy tackled, especially on this album, even comes close to being as wonderful and authentic; period shmeariod. 

Mozart would have been proud!


Okay,...so back to you. What your favorite?


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## Ukko

Well, the one with the Russian violist, I suppose. (I was never much good with names; one of the reasons I'd have made a lousy politician.)


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## joen_cph

It´s a great piece indeed. I haven´t heard the Marriner issue, but especially since it is relatively early Marriner, I bet it is good.

A classic is the EMI with *David & Igor Oistrakh* & the Berlin Philharmonic, very good, including also a certain sense of drama when necessary. Another fine one is the *Ross Pople *recording on ASV, likewise excellent, a fine conductor & soloist in the repertoire of that period. The 3rd I own is the Brilliant Classics recording with Sharon & Gandelsman, but I don´t recall any details about it.

PS. 100 versions ?!?


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## elgar's ghost

I like the work a lot but not sufficiently so for me to buy or listen to multiple recordings. For the record the one I have is the 1982 live DG recording with Zukerman and Perlman (Mehta/Israel PO). When originally looking for a version to buy I recall opting for this one on spec as it also included the earlier Concertone for Two Violins & Orch. which seemed like an agreeable coupling.


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## kv466

PS. 100 versions ?!?[/QUOTE said:


> PS: There are a hundred versions of lots of things; don't mean they're rifght.


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## Meaghan

The Sinfonia Concertante is one of my very favorite Mozart works, but I don't think I've listened to enough recordings to authoritatively pick a favorite. I do enjoy this performance, partly because I like watching these soloists and their interaction.











There is a very funny moment beginning a little before the 2 minute mark in the second video.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

I haven't actually _heard_ this recording, but listening all my ACO recordings that I own, I could probably guess that this would be my favourite recording of Mozart's greatest work.


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## Ukko

Thanks, _Meaghan_. A pleasure for both hearing and sight.


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## itywltmt

I own two, and here they are:
Rafael Druian, violin; Abraham Skernick, viola; Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
Isaac Sten, violin - Pinchas Zukerman, viola, NY Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta (From the Stern 60th birthday concert in New York)

1 -2 in order.


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## Ukko

OK, the violist is Kim Kashkashian. The only CD with her I found at amazon.com is with Kremer, and I don't think that is the recording I'm remembering (if you want to call this remembering).


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## moody

Hilltroll72 said:


> OK, the violist is Kim Kashkashian. The only CD with her I found at amazon.com is with Kremer, and I don't think that is the recording I'm remembering (if you want to call this remembering).


She's not a Russian that's an Armenian name I'm sure.


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## HarpsichordConcerto

I bought this version not long ago. It's brilliant. Rachel Podger and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (on period instruments).


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## realdealblues

Can't beat the Amadeus Soundtrack...or Marriner in general when in comes to Mozart in my book. I occasionally listen to Pinnock's recordings for the Symphonies because I do like the Period Instruments, but Marriner is definitely the man when it comes to master Mozart.


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## Ukko

moody said:


> She's not a Russian that's an Armenian name I'm sure.


She lived and worked in Russia. Close enough for me.


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## Vaneyes

joen_cph--"A classic is the EMI with *David & Igor Oistrakh* & the Berlin Philharmonic, very good, including also a certain sense of drama when necessary."

Yessir, that's my baby, and I don't mean maybe...and on EMI Encore, it's coupled with my favorite Brahms VC recording.

View attachment 3820


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## Joachim Raff

1st Choice:









2nd Choice:


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## Bigbang

I own at least 10 versions. I have to say I like all of them and cannot pick a favorite. Marriner with Loveday/Shingles did one in 80's, very good. I need to listen to the soundtrack (just did so recently) to compare to the soundtrack first movement. I remember how taken I was with Cleveland/Dohnanyi version when I heard it on the radio, later I buy the CD. I own Kantorow on Denon--good as is the violin concertos. Really the work is so good that it does not take much to inject it with the right amount of spirit when talented artists know how to play the "duo" part.


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## Allegro Con Brio

One of my favorite concerti for any instrument, and the work that converted me to Mozart. The slow movement is one of his most noble, poignant creations. I like the Perlman/Zukerman, and the virtuosity of Heifetz/Primrose. There's also a version with the young violinist Vilde Frang that was the first one I've heard and is worth checking out.


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## DaddyGeorge

I'm (or rather I used to be) sort of a collector of Mozart's work, so I own almost every version available in my country (delivery options are somewhat limited) or via Apple Music and I think the movie version is probably unbeatable, but try to give this a chance:


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## Laurencegoldman

*Oistrach/Oistrach Concertante*



joen_cph said:


> It´s a great piece indeed. I haven´t heard the Marriner issue, but especially since it is relatively early Marriner, I bet it is good.
> 
> A classic is the EMI with *David & Igor Oistrakh* & the Berlin Philharmonic, very good, including also a certain sense of drama when necessary. Another fine one is the *Ross Pople *recording on ASV, likewise excellent, a fine conductor & soloist in the repertoire of that period. The 3rd I own is the Brilliant Classics recording with Sharon & Gandelsman, but I don´t recall any details about it.
> 
> PS. 100 versions ?!?


I've just been listening to a slew of Concertantes. The Oistrach/Oistrach Berliner Philharmonic version I heard is conducted by Klemperer. This is the first version I've heard where the orchestra itself makes sense as an equal participant with the soloists. Klemperer and the Oistrach make Mozart SING. With seeing Amadeus so many times, this certainly fits with how I see Mozart. D. Oistrach's Complete Mozart Violin Sonatas are simply amazing. Above all Mozart should shine with Intelligence, Lightness, Clarity. For the pure sound itself of the solo instruments I think Heifitz/Primrose Concertante is fantastic-but as a totality, not so much. After listening to version after version, the piece is plain hard to pull off. It popped in my head, that maybe the pitch range of violin/viola/orchestra are too similar to easily keep them distinct? I'm not very knowledgeable so this is a guess. When the lower strings come in with Mozart's signature contra-point all movement, I get chills here, where in other recordings I do not.


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## joen_cph

I don't know that one with Klemperer, but he's often a fine Mozart conductor, of course. The one I mentioned is just with those two soloists also directing the orchestra, EMI 1972, as a part of the violin concertante works in a box set ... 

it's not so that Klemperer's name was just wrongly transferred, say from an accompanying Brahms violin concerto ?

I got a few more recordings since I wrote the stuff above, keeping some and culling some. I found Mutter's late DG set of the concertos, joining Bashmet and London PO, surprisingly lively and good too.


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## Brahmsian Colors

Favorite Concertante.....


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