Sensitive and stylish flute playing grace this “Mostly Mozart” disc of little-known 18th-century flute concertos. These world premiere recordings are at once a treasure trove of charming discoveries and a tribute to the great flutist, Jean-Pierre Rampal, who conceived the program, performed it live, and whose student, Claudi Arimany, took on the project shortly after his teacher’s death. Arimany’s sound resembles Rampal’s in its large, open “voice-like” sonority, although it tends toward hissiness in the upper registers.
Aside from its appeal to flutists looking to expand their repertoire, the chief significance of this disc rests in its exploration of the world Mozart inhabited. Celebrated in their time, both Vranicky and Hoffmeister were friends and Masonic brothers of Mozart, and in this music they yield nothing to Mozart himself in virtuosic and elegant flute writing. Vranicky’s concerto is the most technically challenging piece presented here, requiring the soloist to execute the same sort of quick octave leaps, finger-twisting arpeggios, and double-tongued scales found in Mozart’s own G major concerto. The “Rondo” movement receives an exceptionally lively reading by soloist and orchestra alike.
Mozart and his father also feature on this disc, the former in a transcription of the second violin concerto and the latter in a rather foursquare work that does not exploit the technical bravura of its companions but contains a charming Sicilienne in the second movement that redeems it somewhat. The Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra accompanies the flutist with zest and full-bodied string playing. Excellent historical notes and a nicely balanced soundstage are among the other merits of this release.
