[ BIS SACD / Hybrid SACD ]
Release Date: Friday 19 January 2024
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From the mid-seventeenth century onwards, the overture became an orchestral piece intended to precede a large-scale dramatic work. This recording brings together twelve overtures from Mozart's operas. They foreshadow the action, sometimes stylistically, sometimes by quoting themes that will appear later, to create a dramatic impression before we even see anything on stage - think of the memorable overtures to Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflöte. The twelve overtures brought together here cover 21 years of Mozart's career: from Mitridate, composed when he was just 14, which testifies to the young composer's familiarity with the galant style then in vogue, to La Clemenza di Tito (1791), the high point of his work in the opera seria genre that was to disappear with him, not forgetting masterpieces such as Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte. The Kölner Akademie, playing on period instruments, and its conductor Michael Alexander Willens demonstrate Mozart's unrivalled ability to capture the audience's attention with these brilliant overtures, some of which are among his most famous works, both on stage and in concert.
"The Kölner Akademie is in period instrument guise, and the sound is of ten suitably thrilling and zippy" BBC Music
Ascanio in Alba, K111: Overture
Idomeneo, K366: Overture
Le Nozze di Figaro K492 - Sinfonia
Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K384: Overture
Così fan tutte, K588: Overture
Der Schauspieldirektor, K486: Overture
Mitridate, rè di Ponto, K87: Overture
La finta giardiniera, K196: Overture
Don Giovanni, K527: Overture
Lucio Silla, K135: Overture
La clemenza di Tito, K621: Overture
Die Zauberflöte, K620: Overture