CD REVIEW – Mozart WIND CONCERTOS
London Symphony Orchestra / Jamie Martin
LSO Live LSO0855 [141’18”]

'

Of the three classical composer giants, Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, the last-named is possibly the one most appreciated by light music enthusiasts. Melody poured from his pen and none more so than in the three concertos on the first album of this 2-CD issue recorded at a live concert from the Jerwood Hall, LSO St Lukes in October 2019.

They are the Horn Concerto featuring the LSO principal Timothy Jones, the Oboe Concerto with LSO principal Olivier Stankiewicz as soloist, and the Clarinet Concerto with former LSO principal Andrew Marriner.

The second album contains two longer works, both recorded live at the same venue: a performance of the delightful Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds in which bassoonist Rachel Gough, hornist Timothy Jones, oboist Juliana Koch and clarinettist Chris Richards take the solo roles; and the rightly popular Serenade No.10 'Gran Partita' in a recording from 2015 by the LSO Wind Ensemble, comprising four French horns, two each oboes, clarinets, basset-horns and bassoons, and a double bass.

Wielding the baton is the Spanish born (1965) Jaimie Martin who spent many years as a highly regarded flautist before turning to conducting full-time in 2013, when he became artistic director and principal conductor of the Gävle Symphony Orchestra in Sweden. He is now also chief conductor of the Irish RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, and music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. From 2022 he will take up the position of chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

With very fine playing and recording through over two hours 20 minutes of music, four pages of readable explanatory programme notes by Lindsay Kemp, a composer profile by Andrew Stewart (albeit both in rather small print) and an attractive price online of around £14, this is a release to be celebrated.

© Peter Burt 2021