What do you mean
you’ve never heard of Josef Myslivecek? He was a contemporary (1737-1781) of
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a composer who came from Prague to Italy to Vienna to
make his fortune, who wrote more symphonies and operas that practically anyone
at the time, who engaged in business dealings with Mozart’s father, who people
say had an influence on the younger Mozart, and who, like W.A. Mozart, died at
a relatively young age, forty-three.
If you’ve never
heard of him, well, neither have many people today. One listen to the first of
seven symphonies on this two-disc set and you say to yourself, “Sounds a lot
like Mozart or Haydn.” Then by the time you get to his third or fourth
symphonies, you’re saying “Sounds a lot like Myslivecek’s first few
symphonies.” The problem with the symphonies, which occupy the first disc, is
that they show too little invention and seem all to sound alike.
The second disc
tends to rectify this situation considerably, however, as the five overtures
contained there are far more interesting, more original, more lively, more
sparkling, and more glowing than the symphonies. I quite enjoyed them but
couldn’t understand why CPI hadn’t put them on the first disc to get our
attention. Likewise, I couldn’t understand why CPO arranged the symphonies in
such an odd fashion, starting with No. 3,
going to Nos. 5 and 6, then back to No. 4, 2, and finally No. 1. I thought the booklet would
explain something about the arrangement being the actual sequence of their
composition, but it mentioned nothing of the matter. Maybe the record producers
arranged them in some kind of order of popularity. I dunno.
The most outstanding
aspects of this album are the exuberant playing of L’Orfeo Baroque
Orchestra under the direction of Michi Gaigg, and the equally vivacious sound
produced by the CPO engineers. The two dozen or so players in the ensemble ring
out clearly and distinctly, with never an overly bright or unduly dull moment.
The stereo spread is wide, the tonal balance is near perfect, and the stage
dimensions show more than adequate depth. Disc two, especially, is a joy to
listen to, although, as I say, the symphonies on disc one are a bit of a chore.
I couldn't disagree more with this 'critic'. For me the first disc of the Myslivecek Symphonies is much more interesting than the Overtures on the second disc. I've been listening to classical music for over 50 years and find that I almost always tend to like what the critics don't. That's probably because I have always preferred music that was tuneful rather than difficult and 'profound'. I have always enjoyed all of Mozart's music and was very pleasantly surprised when I discovered Myslivecek. I find his melodies and harmonies just refreshing and altogether wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHey Udo from Berlin I like the music of Johann Christian Bach so much and seek always music from his contemporary like Myslevecek oh dio I write him false for 40 years I hear sinfonie’s of him in GDR Radio also Vanhal all show us good light music for an sunny weekend like the music of Johann Christian or Philipp Emanuel Bach it Cannsbich and Holzbauer!
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