MOZART, Cristoph August Gabler, Bernard Fattschek, Anton Gottlieb Heyse, Gottlieb Heinrich Köhler - Mareggini, Burani, Gli Archi Italiani

MOZART, Cristoph August Gabler, Bernard Fattschek, Anton Gottlieb Heyse, Gottlieb Heinrich Köhler - Mareggini, Burani, Gli Archi Italiani (CVLD211 )

Performer : Giovanni Mareggini, Davide Burani, The Italian Strings

Production: Velut Luna | Executive producer: Marco Lincetto |
Artistic direction: Anna Pasetti | Recording & Mastering engineer: Marco Lincetto |
Editing engineer: Michele Sartor | Design: the image | Photo: Benito Vanicelli |
English text: Guido Mariani | Marketing: Francesco Pesavento |
Sales Manager: Moreno Danieli & Patrizia Pagiaro |
Press Agent: Emanuela Dalla Valle | World Wide Contacts: Cristiana Dalla Valle

Notes

Mozart: 24bit/88kHz digital recording made at Chiesa della Madonna dell'Uliveto
- Montericco of Albinea (Reggio Emilia) on January 4, 2011
Gabler/Fattschek/Heyse/Köhler: 24 bit/88kHz digital recording made at
MagisterAreaStudios, Preganziol on March 29, 2011
Davide Burani plays a Salvi harp, DIANA model.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Salzburg, 1756-Vienna, 1791)
composed his Concerto for flute, harp and orchestra K299 during
his second stay in Paris in 1778, commissioned by
Adrien-Louis de Bounières, Duke of Guines. Very close to the
Queen Marie Antoinette, Guines was French ambassador to London
for several years, but was forced to return to Paris following a
major financial scandal in which he was involved due to his fault
secretary (the title of duke was granted to him as compensation,
thanks to the intercession of the Queen).
Composed in three movements (Allegro, Andantino and Allegro) the
Concerto is characterized by the richness of thematic elements. The
first movement, in C major, opens with a joyful arpeggio
full orchestra on the fundamental chord, followed by a
broken scale that suddenly leads to the display of strings and oboes. The
second theme (always in the same tone) is introduced by two
long notes of the horns and has a gallant character that contrasts
elegantly with the martial and joyful one of the first theme. The entrance
of the two solo instruments is preceded by a series of fast triplets
of the strings that recall the beginning of the Symphony “Jupiter” K551 (of the
1788, exactly ten years after this Concerto). Flute and harp
they then take up the first theme, reworking and enriching it
with a continuous dialogue, until arriving at the classic modulation to
dominant tone. Here the flute is given a singable phrase
and lyrical, while the harp has the task of accompanying, in a
truly chamber musical dimension; then follows a passage
virtuosic harp leading to the resumption of the second theme
in G major, which is in turn reworked. A new motif
cantabile of the flute in A minor, followed by the repetition of the
first theme from the harp, marks the beginning of the most suggestive part
(and perhaps more “French”) than the first movement, with a moment of
very intense dialogue between the two instruments. The resumption of the two themes
principals, the cadence of the soloists and a short coda end the
movement. The Andantino (in F major) is perhaps the most
known of the entire Concerto. Composed in bipartite form, with
a streamlined orchestration for strings only, this movement shines for the
melodic richness and the unfolded cantability of the flute, accompanied
from the delicate arpeggios and the virtuosity of the harp. The final Allegro is
constructed in the form of a rondo-sonata. The initial exposition begins with
a “piano” of the strings only, followed by the oboes, which comes shortly after
contrasted by a sudden and very dynamic “forte” from the strings,
with repeated notes and quick figures. The chiaroscuro contrast
between “piano” and “forte” constitutes one of the most important elements
of this movement, contributing significantly to the
its vivacity. Here too, the entrance of the soloists marks a
thematic reworking in a dialogic form, with the flute still
once he stands out for the singability of the phrases entrusted to him,
which balance the musical writing of the harp, which is decidedly more
virtuosic. It is interesting how Mozart here alternates phrases
newly conceived melodic tunes with previously proposed motifs, creating
the listener gets the impression of being in front of a real
Rondò. The twenty-two year old Wolfgang had arrived in France at the beginning of March
of 1778, accompanied by his mother, with the hope of obtaining the
protection of the queen, known for welcoming artists and musicians to court
of all Europe. However, Marie Antoinette was at that time
taken with her first pregnancy and, despite the support of the Duke
de Guines, never received it. He was however offered the post of
organist at Versailles, which he refused, despite the advice of his father who
he thought it was a safe job and a good way to stay in touch
with the court and access the queen's entourage.
Those were the years of maximum splendour of the harp in France, which already
since the 60s it had become the favourite instrument of the aristocracy
In the meantime, works dedicated to the transverse flute had already been
important musical pages, but these two instruments until then
were very rarely met. The enlightened commission of the duke
de Guines, an amateur flautist who loved to play with his daughter
harpist (who also took composition lessons from Mozart), gave a
decisive input to the birth of the repertoire for flute and harp which, from that
from that moment on, it gradually began to be enriched by the works of
French, Italian, but above all German authors.