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Mozart: Overtures / Willens, Kölner Akademie
BIS

Mozart: Overtures / Willens, Kölner Akademie

Contemporary Spiritual Uplifting Dramatic Nostalgic
$21.99

Details

Composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Artist
Kolner Akademie
Format
SACD
Label
BIS
Released
Jan 19, 2024
Catalog #
BIS-2062
UPC
7318599920627

About

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 Mithridate, 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.

REVIEW:

The interpretations are very fresh, the playing virtuosic. The historical instruments provide a clear, crisp, and transparent sound, which is reproduced by the sound engineers with good spatiality and balance, with a clean and beautifully present bass.

-- Pizzicato

Tracklist 12 tracks

  1. 1 Ascanio in Alba, K. 111: Overture 03:15
    Track
    1
    Title
    Ascanio in Alba, K. 111: Overture
    Duration
    03:15
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  2. 2 Idomeneo, re di Creta, K. 366: Overture 04:43
    Track
    2
    Title
    Idomeneo, re di Creta, K. 366: Overture
    Duration
    04:43
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  3. 3 Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492: Overture 04:25
    Track
    3
    Title
    Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492: Overture
    Duration
    04:25
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  4. 4 Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Abduction from the Seraglio), K. 384: Overture 05:27
    Track
    4
    Title
    Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Abduction from the Seraglio), K. 384: Overture
    Duration
    05:27
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  5. 5 Così fan tutte, K. 588: Overture 04:18
    Track
    5
    Title
    Così fan tutte, K. 588: Overture
    Duration
    04:18
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  6. 6 Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario), K. 486: Overture 04:21
    Track
    6
    Title
    Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario), K. 486: Overture
    Duration
    04:21
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  7. 7 Mitridate, re di Ponto, K. 87: Overture 05:15
    Track
    7
    Title
    Mitridate, re di Ponto, K. 87: Overture
    Duration
    05:15
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  8. 8 La finta giardiniera, K. 196: Overture 04:32
    Track
    8
    Title
    La finta giardiniera, K. 196: Overture
    Duration
    04:32
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  9. 9 Don Giovanni, K. 527: Overture 05:57
    Track
    9
    Title
    Don Giovanni, K. 527: Overture
    Duration
    05:57
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  10. 10 Lucio Silla, K. 135: Overture 07:10
    Track
    10
    Title
    Lucio Silla, K. 135: Overture
    Duration
    07:10
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  11. 11 La clemenza di Tito, K. 621: Overture 04:33
    Track
    11
    Title
    La clemenza di Tito, K. 621: Overture
    Duration
    04:33
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens
  12. 12 Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620: Overture 06:49
    Track
    12
    Title
    Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620: Overture
    Duration
    06:49
    Composer
    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Ensemble
    Orchester der Kölner Akademie
    Conductor
    Michael Alexander Willens