MOZART: Complete Sonatas for Keyboard and Violin, Volume 4 – Gary Cooper, fortepiano/Rachel Podger, violin – Channel Classics

by | Aug 28, 2007 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews | 0 comments

MOZART:  Complete Sonatas for Keyboard and Violin, Volume 4 – Gary Cooper, fortepiano/Rachel Podger, violin – Channel Classics Multichannel SACD CCS SA 24607, 76 min. *****:

This fourth volume in Rachel Podger and Gary Cooper’s survey of the Mozart Sonatas for Violin and Keyboard completes the effort, and a very fine one at that. The duo interestingly chose to scatter the chronology of the sonatas about, rather than in sequence, and this allows one to see the brilliance of Mozart’s growth and maturity as a composer by comparison of the early pieces with the more mature works. On this disc, the later works frame the youthful compositions, K. 9 and K. 29, composed when Mozart was aged eight and ten, respectively. While the earlier works are definitely not of the same caliber of the mature sonatas, Mozart’s genius is apparent; how many eight- and ten-year-olds could write music like this?

In a departure from most performances of these works, Podger and Cooper chose to record using period instruments; of course, Rachel Podger is renowned for her body of work on the baroque violin, but the use of the fortepiano for accompanist Cooper might seem an odd choice. However, the fortepiano in use here, which is a modern instrument built to duplicate an Anton Walter (Mozart’s favorite instrument builder), has a very full-bodied sound, and lends and essence of authenticity to the proceedings. The virtuosity of the players is constantly in evidence throughout this entertaining disc, and should guarantee this complete set a slot under the “definitive performance” umbrella for period instrument recordings.

The recording, as usual for Channel Classics, was superb. While the players are relatively close-up in the recording, they nonetheless occupy a very real space in the recorded acoustic, and the sound of the instruments is startlingly realistic. Very highly recommended!

— Tom Gibbs 

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