As good a disc of these works as one could wish to hear.

Musically, this is very much meagre rations as far as Mozart goes but even then, there are many felicities that caress the ears and provide much pleasure to the listener. Often erroneously called "organ" sonatas, these utilise the organ as a continuo player in all except the last sonata. The orchestra is also limited (presumably by space in the organ loft in Salzburg where all these compositions were created for use in his employers services), with only 2 violin sections and double basses for all except 12 (adds 2 trumpets), 14 (adds cellos, 2 oboes and timpani) and 16 (adds 2 horns). The organ only gets a staring role in 17 in which it is even permitted a cadenza. Such factors lead one to wonder why Chorzempa gets given such prominence in the booklet when the Deutsche Bachsolisten under Helmut Winschermann do by far the lions share of the music making.

Even by todays HIP standards, this is well played and sensitively handled by all participants. Throughout, the articulation of the strings is a delight and they do not swamp all their notes with a cloying vibrato and Chorzempa's organ (from Mozart's day and much admired by Bruckner amongst others) is suitably bright and cheerful in tone colour. Tempo choices are remarkably astute and few would wish any of the sonatas to be taken any more than a smidgen faster, if at all. Balance is also well done between organ and orchestra with each allowed just the right degree of a starring role as the music indicates. Chorzempa's accompaniment up to sonata 16 is exemplary and he really comes into his own for 17. The solo Andante in F (K. 616) was originally conceived for a rich Viennese "Count" who commissioned Mozart to write something for his mechanical organ; in this performance, there is no way that one could describe Chorzempa's playing as mechanical and it makes for a lovely "encore" at the end of the set.

Pentatone's remastering of the Philips tapes is astonishing as one would never realise that this set was originally recorded in 1972. Characteristically, the level is rather higher than most other classical SACDs.

Recommended.

Copyright © 2010 John Broggio and HRAudio.net

Performance:

Sonics (Multichannel):