Philips Complete Mozart Edition (180 CD box set, APE)

Number of Discs: 180 CD box set
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Philips
Size: 44.7 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Box#1: Symphonies

Composer: Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Neville Marriner
Orchestra: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Audio CD (January 10, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 12
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#2: Serenades, Dances, Marches

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Neville Marriner, Willi Boskovsky
Performer: Raymund Koster, Vienna Mozart Ensemble, John Constable, Timothy Brown [horn], Celia Nicklin, et al.
Orchestra: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Audio CD (January 10, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 13
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#3: Divertimenti for Strings and Winds; Divertimenti & Serenades for Winds

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Edo de Waart, Michael Laird, Neville Marriner
Performer: Klaus Thunemann, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (members of), Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble, Holliger Wind Ensemble [members of], Netherlands Wind Ensemble [members of], et al.
Audio CD (January 10, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 11
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#4: Piano Concertos

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Eduard Melkus, Neville Marriner, Semyon Bychkov, Ton Koopman
Performer: Semyon Bychkov, Ton Koopman, Alfred Brendel, Imogen Cooper, Ingrid Haebler, et al.
Orchestra: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Capella Academica Wien
Audio CD (January 10, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 12
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#5: Violin Concertos; Wind Concertos

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Alexander Gibson, Heinz Holliger, Iona Brown, Neville Marriner
Performer: Klaus Thunemann, Michael Chapman, Norman Jones, Stephen Orton, Jack Brymer, et al.
Audio CD (January 10, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 9
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#6: Quintets, Quartets, Trios, etc.

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Klaus Thunemann, Jean Decroos, Stephen Orton, Eduard Brunner, Jack Brymer, et al.
Audio CD (February 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 8
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#7: String Quartets; String Quintets

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Georges Janzer, Max Lesueur, Arpad Gerecz, Arthur Grumiaux
Audio CD (February 21, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 11
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#8: Violin Sonatas; String Duos & Trios

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble, Grumiaux Trio, Blandine Verlet, Ronald Brautigam, Walter Klien, et al.
Audio CD (February 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 9
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#9: Piano Music

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Tini Mathot, Ton Koopman, Ingrid Haebler, J?rg Demus, Ludwig Hoffmann, et al.
Audio CD (February 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 12
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#10: Missae; Requiem; Organ Sonatas & Solos

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Colin Davis, Helmut Winschermann, Herbert Kegel, John Eliot Gardiner, Peter Schreier, et al.
Performer: Andreas Schmidt, Clifford Grant, Cornelius Hauptmann, Gerhard Eder, Hermann-Christian Polster, et al.
Orchestra: Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra
Audio CD (February 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 11
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#11: Litanies; Vespers; Oratorios; Cantatas; Masonic Music

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Colin Davis, Herbert Kegel, Leopold Hager, Neville Marriner, Peter Schreier
Performer: Andreas Schmidt, Gwynne Howell, Hans-Joachim Ribbe, Hermann-Christian Polster, Ren? Pape, et al.
Orchestra: Dresden Staatskapelle, Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg, SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
Audio CD (March 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 13
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#12: Arias; Vocal Ensembles; Canons; Lieder; Notturni

Audio CD (March 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 10
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#13: Early Italian Operas

Performer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Leopold Hager, Peter Schreier, Christine Schornsheim, Alois Aigner, et al.
Audio CD (March 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 13
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#14: Middle Italian Operas

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Colin Davis, Leopold Hager, Neville Marriner, Peter Schreier
Performer: Wen-Sinn Yang, Heinrich Braun, Christine Schornsheim, Jean-Pierre Faber, John Constable, et al.
Orchestra: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra “Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach”, London Symphony Orchestra, Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg
Audio CD (March 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 9
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#15: Late Italian Operas

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Colin Davis
Performer: Ian Herbert, John Constable, Christina Clarke, Clifford Grant, David Lennox, et al.
Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra Covent Garden
Audio CD (March 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 11
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#16: German Operas

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Bernhard Klee, Colin Davis, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Uwe Christian Harrer
Performer: Ernst Wurdinger, Walter Wurdinger, Walter Weih, Ann Murray, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, et al.
Orchestra: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Berliner Staatskapelle, Dresden Staatskapelle, London Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Des Norddeutschen Rundfunks Hamburg, et al.
Audio CD (March 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 11
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Box#17: Theatre and Ballet Music – Rarities & Surprises

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Bernhard Klee, Colin Davis, David Zinman, Kenneth Sillito, Neville Marriner, et al.
Performer: Hermann-Christian Polster, Robin O’Neill, Thea King, Theo Adam, Netherlands Wind Ensemble, et al.
Orchestra: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Staatskapelle
Audio CD (March 14, 2006)
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 5
Format: Boxset
Label: Philips

Magisterial Mozart

As the liner notes suggest, Mozart’s symphonies may not be as accomplished as his operas and piano concertos. They do, however, capture wonderfully his remarkable development. The early symphonies, in particular, provide an exhilarating document of the young composer’s discovery of his passion for music.

And these beautifully-remastered recordings are magisterial, articulate, and soaring. Marriner clearly has an exceptional, intuitive understanding of these works and conducts The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields with remarkable restraint and control, demanding of his musicians perfection. At the same time, these performances are spirited and overflow with joy and elation. Marriner’s tempi and dynamics seem perfect, capturing the compelling force of the more dramatic movements and giving the slow movements an exquisite, gossamer finish. Where he seems to take minor liberties, they are not intrusive or cloying, but rather stop you in your tracks and at times take your breath away.

And all of this from historically-informed performances? Indeed. In fact, as the first reviewer notes, this (paradoxically) lends the works incredible power. These recordings are inspired and moving. Each instrument is attentively mic’ed and never eclipsed by another. The sound quality is both airy and crisp.

Admittedly, I am not familiar with other complete sets of Mozart’s symphonies, although the recordings I have heard of individual works are heavy in comparison and without Marriner’s nuance. Highly recommended.