George Szell Plays and Conducts Mozart

George Szell

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George Szell Plays and Conducts Mozart Review

by James Leonard

"The borderline is very thin between clarity and coolness, self-discipline and severity," conductor George Szell once remarked to a friend. "There exists different nuances of warmth -- from the chaste warmth of Mozart to the sensuous warmth of Tchaikovsky." Chaste warmth are the watchwords of this fabulous collection of Szell's Mozart recordings for Columbia made from the late '40s through the mid-'60s. Featuring not only his stereo recordings of six symphonies but his earlier monaural recordings of three symphonies as well as recordings of diverse overtures, divertimentos, serenades, and concertos with the Cleveland Orchestra plus recordings of four violin sonatas with violinist Rafael Druian and the two piano quartets with members of the Budapest Quartet, this 10-disc collection is a veritable cornucopia of chaste warmth. What exactly is chaste warmth? Listen to the strings -- to their slim vibrato, to their tight attacks, to their crisp releases. Listen to the winds -- to their pure intonation, to their bright colors, to their warm blend. Listen to the brass -- to their brilliant clarity, to their reserved strength, to their poised power. But most of all, listen to Szell's interpretations as either a conductor or a pianist -- to the matchless lucidity of their articulation, to the ideal lyricism of their phrasing, to the perfect balance of their sonorities, to the consummate musicality of their insights. This is, beyond all argument, Mozart playing of the highest order and anyone who loves the little man from Salzburg should hear these performances, especially in Sony's superlative remastering.

Track Listing - Disc 1

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Symphony No. 28 in C major, K. 200 (K. 189k)
1	I. Allegro spiritoso Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:02	Amazon
2	II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:30	Amazon
3	III. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:55	Amazon
4	IV. Presto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:51	Amazon
5	Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), opera, K. 492 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:04
Symphony No. 33 in B flat major, K. 319
6	I. Allegro assai Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:11	Amazon
7	II. Andante moderato Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:47	Amazon
8	III. Menuetto - Trio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	02:52	Amazon
9	IV. Finale. Allegro assai Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:04	Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 2

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Symphony No. 35 in D major ("Haffner"), K. 385
1	I. Allegro con spirito Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:04	Amazon
2	II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:30	Amazon
3	III. Menuetto - Trio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:09	Amazon
4	IV. Finale. Presto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:41
Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543
5	I. Adagio - Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:25	Amazon
6	II. Andante con moto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:22
7	III. Menuetto. Allegretto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:00	Amazon
8	IV. Finale. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:58	Amazon
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
9	I. Allegro molto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:49
10	II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:55	Amazon
11	III. Menuetto. Allegretto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:49
12	IV. Finale. Allegro assai Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:28	Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 3

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
1	I. Allegro molto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:15
2	II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:45	Amazon
3	III. Menuetto. Allegretto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:32
4	IV. Finale. Allegro assai Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:45	Amazon
Symphony No. 41 in C major ("Jupiter"), K. 551
5	I. Allegro vivace Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:18
6	II. Andante cantabile Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:32	Amazon
7	III. Menuetto. Allegretto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:35
8	IV. Molto allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:05
Der Schauspieldirektor, opera, K. 486
9	Overture Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:59

Track Listing - Disc 4

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Divertimento No. 2 for flute, oboe, bassoon, 4 horns & strings in D major, K. 131
1	I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:45
2	II. Adagio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:08
3	III. Menuetto - Trio I - Trio II - Trio III Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:50
4	IV. Allegretto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:15
5	V. Menuetto - Trio I - Trio II Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:08
6	VI. Adagio - Allegro molto - Allegro assai Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:28
Symphony No. 41 in C major ("Jupiter"), K. 551
7	I. Allegro vivace Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:17
8	II. Andante cantabile Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:02	Amazon
9	III. Menuetto. Allegretto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:45
10	IV. Molto allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:54

Track Listing - Disc 5

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Sinfonia concertante for violin, viola & orchestra in E flat major, K. 364 (K. 320d)
1	I. Allegro maestoso Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	12:58
2	II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	12:01
3	III. Presto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:06
Exsultate, jubilate, motet for soprano & orchestra, K. 165 (K. 158a)
4	I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:23
5	II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:41
6	III. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	02:37
Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543
7	I. Adagio - Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:48	Amazon
8	II. Andante con moto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:15
9	III. Menuetto. Allegretto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:44	Amazon
10	IV. Finale. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:44	Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 6

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major ("Eine kleine Nachtmusik"), K. 525
1	I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:47	Amazon
2	II. Romance. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:17	Amazon
3	III. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	02:07	Amazon
4	IV. Rondo. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:16	Amazon
Serenade No. 9 for orchestra in D major ("Posthorn"), K. 320
5	I. Adagio maestoso - Allegro con spirito Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:33
6	II. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:25
7	III. Concertante. Andante grazioso Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:30
8	IV. Rondeau. Allegro ma non troppo Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:28
9	V. Andantino Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:29
10	VI. Menuetto - Trio I - Trio II Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:05
11	VII. Finale. Presto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:54

Track Listing - Disc 7

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
Divertimento No. 17 for 2 horns & strings in D major, K. 334 (K.320b)
1	I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:17
2	II. Tema mit Variationen. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	09:17
3	III. Menuetto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:44
4	IV. Adagio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:39
5	V. Menuetto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:41
6	VI. Rondo. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	09:51
Requiem for soloists, chorus, and orchestra, K. 626
7	Lacrimosa Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:04
8	Minuet for orchestra in C major, K. 409 (K. 383f) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	03:55

Track Listing - Disc 8

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622
1	I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	12:27
2	II. Adagio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:45
3	III. Rondo. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:58
Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503
4	I. Allegro maestoso Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	14:36
5	II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:28
6	III. Allegretto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	08:00

Track Listing - Disc 9

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
Sonata for violin & piano No. 24 in F major, K. 376 (K. 374d)
1	I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:02
2	II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:26
3	III. Rondo. Allegretto grazioso Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:23
Sonata for violin & piano No. 18 in G major, K. 301 (K. 293a)
4	I. Allegro con spirito Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:58
5	II. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:41
Sonata for violin & piano No. 21 in E minor, K. 304 (K. 300c)
6	I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:52
7	II. Tempo di Menuetto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	05:12
Sonata for violin & piano No. 17 in C major, K. 296
8	I. Allegro vivace Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:02
9	II. Andante sostenuto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:25
10	III. Rondo. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	04:15

Track Listing - Disc 10

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time
Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, K. 478
1	I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:26
2	II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:38
3	III. Rondo Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:39
Piano Quartet No. 2 in E flat major, K. 493
4	I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:12
5	II. Larghetto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	06:44
6	III. Allegretto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	George Szell	07:52