Cosi Fan Tutte - Mozart (DVD)

Advantages: One of the finest casts ever
Disadvantages: Mono Sound, that's all

...MOZART - COSI FAN TUTTE - KARJAN EMI PLEASE COMMENT ON THIS REVIEW SO I CAN IMPROVE MY REVIEWS IN THE FUTURE!!! When critics line up the best available recordings of Mozart's superb comic opera "Così fan tutte" two recordings are almost invariably up there, Karl Böhm's second recording from 1962 (EMI - Stereo) and Herbert von Karajan's recording from 1954 (EMI - Mono). The remarkable Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is present in both recording as the charming Fiordiligi. I prefer her fresher voice in 1954 but she, like the other artists in the Böhm recording, benefit from the fresh stereo sound. One of the glories of the gramophone is Schwarzkopf, Merriman and Bruscantini in "Soave sia il vento" - simply breathtaking as regards phrasing, beauty of tone and the organic feeling to the ensemble. Giuseppe Taddei (Böhm) and Rolando Panerai (Karajan... Read review

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Advantages: One of the best Ferrando's on disc
Disadvantages: Overpriced

...looking for a library addition for yourself, I would recommend the Schwarzkopf/Ludwig recording under Karl Bohm, or if you prefer something more modern sounding (I know that Schwarzkopf can be an acquired taste?), go for the Amanda Roocroft/Rosa Manion recording under John Eliot Gardiner, which is roughly contemporary with the recording I?m reviewing here (both of these other recordings are available at around the £25 mark). IS IT GOOD VALUE? Hell no. My final words on the subject. IS IT WORTH BORROWING FROM THE LIBRARY? I?d never say any recording of anything WASN?T worth borrowing from the library. It?s an interesting early career bit of Renee Fleming, an equally interesting bit of late career Solti, and a why isn?t he the ?fourth tenor? bit of singing from Frank Lopardo. SUMMING UP If you need a Cosi fan tutte in your record... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent performances in a perfect setting
Disadvantages: Very minor quibbles

...'s employment really did happen! By 1778, Mozart's composition style had developed to the point where his violin sonatas are much more of an equal partnership between violin and keyboard. During this year while he was in Mannheim and Paris, he composed a set of 6 sonatas which are featured on this DVD. They were dedicated to the German aristrocrat Maria Elisabeth, Electress of the Palatinate, but most importantly for Mozart, they were also published in Paris - his first major music publication. This was a vital step for Mozart. Not only was it a good source of income to have the works published, but it also served to spread his music around a much wider audience than would otherwise have been possible. So these works, while perhaps not the most widely known amongst the general public, are a vital stepping stone in Mozart's development... Read review

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