As a former Principal Flute himself (albeit not with the London Symphony but just about every other London band), Jaime Martin is an undeniably sensitive conductor for the concertos, attentive to the orchestral detail while giving his soloists the space they need to develop their interpretations without rushing or overwhelming them…
When Mozart arranged these three early concertos for piano quintet, it was a smart move. It enabled him to show his prowess as an innovative keyboard player to patrons who could not afford a full band and to perform with gifted (but wealthy) amateurs in a normal salon…
There is something splendid about Peter Donohoe, known for decades as a fine exponent of the biggest and most rowdy of twentieth century concertos, coming back late in life to Mozart’s sonatas…
The Basset instruments of the late 18th century, whether called clarinets or horns, were particularly delicious in tone, giving not only extra notes to the clarinet range but a rich and mellow tone that modern generations do not quite match…
These days it has become quite unusual to hear Mozart’s small orchestra works played by a Philharmonic band rather than a specialist chamber or period orchestra. Big name conductors tend to shy away from them too, perhaps conscious of the potential damage to their reputations if they appear heavy-handed. So for the LPO and Jurowski to release these recordings now is a very much more courageous move than it would have been fifty years ago…