Organic reading
Gli Angeli Genève, Alexis Kossenko and Valeria Kafelnikov, conducted by Stephan MacLeod, devoted themselves to Mozart's concertos for flute and for flute and harp.
Mozart's concerti have been in the limelight since the early days of recording. Some interpretations have left their mark on the musical landscape. Others less so. Many music lovers still fondly remember (and listen to) these pages recorded by Karl Böhm and his soloists from the Vienna Philharmonic (ah... the sound of the oboe and Viennese horn...). Closer to home, Emmanuel Pahud, with the complicity of the Berliners and Claudio Abbado, colored the flute concerti with his regal sound. The recording in question, performed on original instruments, adds another stone to the edifice. A precious, beautiful, dare I say indispensable stone?
The lightness of the playing, the finely chiseled phrasing, the Vallotti temperament and the remarkable sound recording mean that each orchestral stratum is clearly perceptible. Alexis Kossenko offers us a fruity sound, with a very solid core surrounded by rich harmonics, a far cry from the sometimes windy tone of some of his traverso colleagues. His reading of Mozart, punctuated by original cadenzas full of the unexpected, is so organic that we find ourselves breathing and moving in time. Under the fingers of Valeria Kafelnikov, the late-18th-century harp is a true masterpiece.ème century brings a pearlescent elegance to the concerto for flute and harp.
Directed by Stephan MacLeod, Gli Angeli Genève do more than just accompany, with all the routine that this word can engender. There's involvement at every turn, teamwork, complicity with the soloists, passion and freshness - and that's good! Coming from the operatic world, the conductor never forgets that Mozart was a man of the theater, even when he wasn't writing opera. Soloists, conductor and orchestra don't just make music, they tell a story. A story you want to hear over and over again, and never get tired of. Thank you for Mozart, and for the listeners!
Mozart: Concertos for flute and orchestra. Wind Concertos Vol 1. Alexis Kossenko, flute; Valeria Kafelnikov, harp; Gli Angeli Genève; Stephan MacLeod. Claves Records CD 3050
