Beethoven, Trio in B flat major, op.97 (“Erzherzog-Trio”) (Mozartwoche 1999)

The Wiener Klaviertrio was founded in 1988 by the pianist Stefan Mendl, the cellist Marcus Trefny and the violinist Wolfgang Redik. In addition to intensive studies with the Trio di Trieste, the Beaux Arts Trio and the Haydn Trio Wien, the three musicians also worked with Isaac Stern, Joseph Kalichstein and members of the LaSalle and Guarneri Quartets. The ensemble has been undertaking extensive concerto tours throughout Europe, in the United States and Canada since the early 1990s. Moreover, the three musicians regularly appear at many festivals, such as the “Flanders Festival” and the “Schubertiade Feldkirch”. After its successful concert cycle in Vienna’s Konzerthaus with the entire piano trio oeuvre of Ludwig van Beethovens, the Wiener Klaviertrio presented all of Schubert’s piano trios in London’s Wigmore Hall as well as in Vienna’s Musikverein in the 1996/97 season. This concert was recorded in late January 1999 at the Mozartwoche Festival in Salzburg.

Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note – In honor of Leonard Bernstein’s 80th birthday.

When Leonard Bernstein died in 1990 at the age of 72, music lovers the world over mourned the loss of one of the 20th century’s artistic giants. In addition to his role as conductor, composer, educator and performing artist, Bernstein was one of the early pioneers in bringing the arts to television. As such, he became one of the most internationally recognized musical personalities in the world. Yet in spite of the existence of vast quantities of visual material, the two-hour film “The Infinite Variety of Leonard Bernstein” is the first full-scale biographical film portrait of the musician. The spine of the film is Bernstein’s own narrative. Supplementing this are recollections from friends, family, artistic collaborators and others who provide a historically critical perspective on his work and career. An equally important element is the integration of Bernstein’s compositions throughout the film. Through his television specials as an educator, as well as through the orchestral works he conducted for television, the film also provides a rich, varied and insightful reflection on Bernstein’s music-making.

Mozart, Symphony No.28 in C major, K.200 (Mozartwoche 1999)

The former “Camerata academica Salzburg” was renamed simply “Camerata Salzburg” in 2001. It was founded in 1951 by Bernhard Paumgartner, who was its head and mentor for many years. From 1978 to 1997 its artistic director was Sándor Végh and in 1997 Roger Norrington was appointed principal conductor of the ensemble. The Camerata Salzburg can be heard every year at the Salzburg Mozartwoche and Salzburg Festival. Alexander Janiczek, who conducts this concert, comes from Salzburg and has been the concertmaster of the Camerata Salzburg since 1991. Like the “Little” G-minor Symphony, K. 200 is also one of the early “Salzburg” symphonies. Its originality places it on a par with the G-minor work. The onward-rushing, sharply profiled theme prefigured an evolution which led to a more individual characterization of the melodies and to a more thorough exploitation of their combinative possibilities. While the muted strings and “sigh” motifs of the Andante point to techniques Mozart was to perfect in later works, the final sprightly Presto recalls the structure of the opening movement, thus rounding off the work in an admirable fashion.

Mozart, Piano Concerto in G major, K.453, and Ravel, Menuet sur le nom de Haydn (Mozartwoche 1999)

The former “Camerata academica Salzburg” was renamed simply “Camerata Salzburg” in 2001. It was founded in 1951 by Bernhard Paumgartner, who was its head and mentor for many years. From 1978 to 1997 its artistic director was Sándor Végh and in 1997 Roger Norrington was appointed principal conductor of the ensemble. The Camerata Salzburg can be heard every year at the Salzburg Mozartwoche and Salzburg Festival. Alexander Janiczek, who conducts this concert, comes from Salzburg and has been the concertmaster of the Camerata Salzburg since 1991. The soloist is Paul Gulda. This work, together with its fellow pieces K. 450 and 451, marks the beginning of an entirely new concerto concept, one that made great demands on the performer and whose aim was the synthesis of the traditional concerto form and the symphony. This is brilliantly illustrated in K. 453 by the totally new importance given to the orchestra. It no longer merely accompanies the solo part and highlights the formal contours, but develops its own unique and colorful personality, characterized above all by the poignant use of the woodwinds. The solo part becomes more and more the soul of the composer, expressing his innermost feelings and rejecting technical brilliancy for its own sake. Mozart thus clears the way for the intensely personal concerto form of the 19th century, which, incidentally, will make it practically impossible for the soloist to conduct at the keyboard, as he had until then.