Listeners looking for some enjoyable Mozart performances on SACD will want this disc. The performances are very stylish. Only at the beginning of the “Jupiter” Symphony does Martin Pearlman indulge in some affected phrasing, but otherwise the performance is clean and lively, with lovely contributions from the winds in the andante and plenty of contrapuntal clarity to the finale (especially in multichannel sound). Pearlman doesn’t stint on brass and timpani at the climaxes, which gives the music an effectively regal, grand sonority, particularly in the great build-up to the closing pages.
If anything, the flute concertos are even better. As recorded here, Jacques Zoon has a huge tone that really fills the performance space, and the SACD format successfully puts the players in a tangible three-dimensional perspective. K. 314 strikes me as particularly successful, with its sweetly lyrical andante and a delightful closing allegro. I also like this programming concept: it balances the comparatively lightweight flute concertos with a major masterpiece, and also provides more than 77 minutes of music, so this is good value too–a class act all the way. [3/7/2005]
