Mozart: Violin Sonata No. 27 in G major, K379 - CD

“often bar-by-bar alternation between joy and sadness, beauty and regret, in mature Mozart is something to which Christam Tetzlaff and Lars Vogt are continuously alive...Tetzlaff finding a different articulation and colour for his almost every phrase...hardly 'period' performances, but these players find so much meaning in this music.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2013 ****

“This disc brings toether two musicians absolutely at the top of their game and with long experience of working together, as the easy dialogue between them amply demonstrates...It's the hyper-reactivity between the two players that is a constant delight, as witness their subtle way of varying repeats...A delight from beginning to end. Would it be too much to hope that this might be the start of a series?” Gramophone Magazine, February 2013

“Tetzlaff and Vogt display strong character throughout yet they still evince warmth and sensitivity. The results are impeccable and dignified; teamwork and love for the music is at the heart of this. The sound quality is pleasingly clear with the piano set slightly further forward in the balance. No admirer of Mozart’s chamber music should hesitate with this Ondine release.” MusicWeb International, April 2013

“…Müllejans and Bezuidenhout bring a spirit of improvisation to their performance, with many apparently spontaneous ornaments and a general air of freedom.” Gramophone Magazine, June 2009

“Müllejans and Bezuidenhout capture the improvisatory air of the programme in a vibrant, highly expressive performance. Their interpretation has a sense of volatility to it that engenders a marvellous hearing-it-for-the-first-time sensation. Furthermore, there emanates from this recording such a highly developed sense of artistic partnership that it doesn't feel like an exaggeration to say that they play as one” Charlotte Gardner, bbc.co.uk, 27th March 2009

This is a voyage of discovery for me,' says Rachel Podger as she moves on from award-winning Bach and Vivaldi to embark on a complete cycle of Mozart's violin sonatas. This first disc in the series offers four from the early, middle and late periods - C major KV6, B flat major KV378, G major KV379 and F major KV547 - in which Podger's youth and Baroque experience combine to bring a charm and freshness of approach which suit these delightful pieces perfectly. With sympathetic support from the equally youthful Gary Cooper, this promises to be a cycle well worth following. Anthony Holden, Sunday November 21, 2004 The Observer

“This is Volume 1 of a complete set, and the series certainly gets off to a cracking start. The recording gives the fortepiano (an Adlam copy of a 1795 Anton Walther instrument) a full, rich, sound; the balance with the violin is excellent – it's as though we're listening in a small but resonant room.
The noble introductory Adagio of K379 sounds wonderfully colourful, and is followed by an unusually passionate, intense performance of the Sonata's G minor Allegro. It's taken at a faster tempo than usual, and we're persuaded to think of it as a worthy forerunner of the great G minor works to come. It's the CD's high point, perhaps, but the first two movements of K378 run it close; the opening Allegro moderato is spacious, flexible and expressive, and the second movement warm and sensuous.
Gary Cooper plays with considerable freedom, often spreading chords to soften their impact or for extra expressiveness, and ornamenting repeated passages most imaginatively.
Rachel Podger doesn't generally ornament her part; her accompaniments are unforced and flow easily, and she enjoys taking the lead, playing boldly yet with sensitivity.
Mozart's first sonata, K6, begun when he was six, is a lively piece, but you'd never guess the composer. And K547, intended as an educational piece, has nothing of the expressive depth of the other late sonatas. But Cooper and Podger's playing remains suited to the music's character, unaffectedly bringing out its charm and vitality.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“A beautifully handled recording with a sense of intimacy so appropriate to the music. Here are players working as a real partnership, bouncing ideas off each other and having fun in the experience of making music.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2005

“fresh, invigorating period-instrument performances which value crisp articulation and emphatic phrasing over modern notions of tonal beauty...Arguably, this comes closer to what Mozart may have heard in his head when composing than most modern interpretations, and can be more powerfully effective...It is well worth bearing with Duo Amadè, as its individualistic, historically informed approach can be extremely illuminating” Graham Rogers, bbc.co.uk, 9th January 2012

“Catherine Mackintosh is the soul of discretion, imparting an intimate, chamber music quality to music that is often performed as if for the wide-open spaces of a modern concert-hall.” Classic FM Magazine, September 2011 ****

“Govier and Mackintosh play into the music, the certainty of Mozart's dynamic markins appearing to offer scope for persuasive freedom. Extremes abound. You take them or leave them.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2011

“Alexander Kniazev has certainly undertaken this act of piracy with relish, coming up with highly effective cello transcriptions of three of the master’s violin sonatas. There are even places in these works where the cello’s greater depth and range is preferable to the original, resulting in a more equally balanced and stimulating dialogue with the piano. […] there’s little doubt that both performers are passionately committed to the music and are equally capable of effecting elegance and charm in the more light-hearted moments of K301” BBC Music Magazine, December 2005 ****