Peter Maag conducts Mozart’s Prague symphony with a flair reminiscent of his contemporaneous performances of Mendelssohn’s symphonies. Indeed, his emphasis on warm tone, flowing line, and rhythmic vigor make clear how much of Mendelssohn’s style is sourced in Mozart. The London Symphony Orchestra plays expertly (proving just as capable in this music as the Vienna Philharmonic under Kertész on a previous Eloquence release), and displays remarkable precision in Maag’s breathlessly paced finale.
Mozart’s theater music constitutes the next part of the program, which includes the interestingly episodic Lucio Silla overture and four interludes from Thamos, King of Egypt, wherein Mozart artfully evokes the story’s drama even when the voices are not present. Last comes six of the composer’s German Dances, written for public occasions attended by the nobility and citizenry alike. These are among Mozart’s most colorful orchestral works, featuring clever sound effects in “The Canary”, “The Organ Grinder”, and “Sleigh Ride”. Maag and his London Symphony players perform all of the above with brilliance, conviction, and charm. Decca’s 1959 recordings offer solid presence and a spacious acoustic; intermittent distortion occurs in the symphony’s loudest passages.
