None can gainsay Mozart's genius or his mastery of all Classical genres, but this does not mean all of his pieces are equally fascinating or that his special affection for the basset horn must be shared by everyone. On this Harmonia Mundi release, the music is undeniably pleasant, and Lisa Klevit-Ziegler, Eric Hoeprich, and William McColl deserve credit for their polished and amiable playing. However, listening to almost 66 minutes of rich basset horn music may feel like an overindulgence in Mozartkugeln, and the ...
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None can gainsay Mozart's genius or his mastery of all Classical genres, but this does not mean all of his pieces are equally fascinating or that his special affection for the basset horn must be shared by everyone. On this Harmonia Mundi release, the music is undeniably pleasant, and Lisa Klevit-Ziegler, Eric Hoeprich, and William McColl deserve credit for their polished and amiable playing. However, listening to almost 66 minutes of rich basset horn music may feel like an overindulgence in Mozartkugeln, and the uniformity of mood, style, figurations, keys, and timbres can be cloying. The Divertimento No. 3 and the Divertimento No. 2, both in B flat major, follow the pattern of fast movement, minuet, slow movement, second minuet, and rondo. They are best heard separately, for the pairing here points up their similarities too plainly. The selected duos for basset horns from K. 487 provide a change from the trio textures, but their consistently light tone and conventional patterns make them seem...
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