The venerable Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra under its music directors since Christopher Hogwood has evolved into an interesting kind of historically informed performance ensemble. Those directors introduced the use of period instruments but wisely did not attempt to pull the ensemble's traditions up by the roots: the group remains sizable by authentic-performance standards and is capable of filling Boston's Symphony Hall with sound. For those wanting to sample the ensemble's state of the art, this set of Mozart violin ...
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The venerable Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra under its music directors since Christopher Hogwood has evolved into an interesting kind of historically informed performance ensemble. Those directors introduced the use of period instruments but wisely did not attempt to pull the ensemble's traditions up by the roots: the group remains sizable by authentic-performance standards and is capable of filling Boston's Symphony Hall with sound. For those wanting to sample the ensemble's state of the art, this set of Mozart violin concertos makes a good place to start. The H&H is teamed with its concertmaster, the fiery Aisslinn Nosky, and the pairing is a good one. Nosky leads from the violin and holds the ensemble in her thrall, with sharp-edged playing that can stand up to the larger group. She doesn't neglect the pure Mozartian lyricism -- sample the second movement of the Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218 -- and she contributes cadenzas of her own that catch her lively personality. The standout is...
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