Helmut Müller-Brühl and the Cologne Chamber Orchestra have won kudos in the recent past for their wonderful disc of Telemann’s Darmstadt Overtures (a Cannes Classical Award in 2001), and this new release of famous Mozart symphonies continues their tradition of well-recorded examples of 18th century music. Issued on Naxos’ German imprint “Das Meisterwerk” series (it is not clear whether or when it will be available in the U.S.), this set does not necessarily displace the label’s perfectly adequate productions of Mozart’s later symphonies under Barry Wordsworth, issued in the early 1990s. And while it might be difficult to muster interest in yet another compilation of Mozart symphonies, this new recording has its merits nonetheless.
Among the performances’ general highlights are the rhythmic security in the outer movements of each symphony, the vibrant wind playing, and careful dynamic coloring. The authentically-sized ensemble tends to be overwhelmed at times by the timpani, whose respective declarations in the first movements of the “Linz” and “Prague”, for example, occasionally sound too explosive. Once you get used to the fact that this timpanist means business, you begin to look forward to his entrances and, frankly, the added punch gives these pieces some freshness and propulsion. If you happen to find this disc locally, be forewarned that the booklet is entirely in German.
