Mozart: Serenades K239 & K525, and Divertimento K247

Advantages: You could become a genius
Disadvantages: But then again you might not

...of TV ads. The only “mystery” bit for some of you will be the titles. The music I’m recommending on the disc under review goes by the name of Divertimento. This means nothing more (or less) than a piece to entertain (or divert the attention). The strange numbers K131 and K247 are also easily explained. After Mozart’s death a helpful fellow by the name of Ludwig von Köchel spent ten years of his life tracing and cataloguing Mozart’s works, assembling them as nearly as possible in chronological order and giving each one a number to indicate where it stands in relation to all the others: so K1 (a short piano piece) was Mozart’s first known work in Köchel’s catalogue and K626, the Requiem, was his last. OK so far? Good. The titles of the individual movements shouldn’t cause any problems if you speak Italian, the unofficial “language... Read review

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Advantages: A definite easy listen
Disadvantages: Maybe too easy

...- Romance Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Elgar - Chanson de matin Beethoven - Pastoral Symphony CD 2 Mozart - 'Elvira Madigan' Piano Concerto JS Bach - Sheep may safely graze JS Bach - Keyboard Concerto No 5 in F minor Handel - Water Music Vivaldi - Concerto for lute and two violins JS Bach - Aria Grieg - Piano Concerto JS Bach - Double Violin Concerto Monteverdi - Beatus vir Chopin - Etude in E 'Tristesse' Elgar - Serenade in E minor Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No 2 Barber - Adagio for String Faure - In paradisum - Schubert - String Quintet Faure - Berceuse x-x-x... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Fun and lively comic opera sung in English
Disadvantages: Not in the original language

...The Marriage of Figaro. A play already utilised as a basis for earlier operas including The barber of Seville by Paisiello in 1782 and Figaro by Mozart in 1796. The English translation provided by Amanda and Anthony Holden. This recording opens with the famous Overture with slow introduction leading to the main section with the two main themes repeated. The action then begins. The ardent Count Almaviva (Bruce Ford - tenor) has fallen in love with Rosina (Della Jones - contralto), the ward of Doctor Bartolo. Bartolo (Andrew Shore - baritone) however has plans to marry her himself. Almaviva serenades Rosina and sends her love letters under the assumed name of Lindoro. The factotum, Figaro (Alan Opie - baritone), arranges for him to visit Rossini disguised as a drunken soldier. The plan fails and he is arrested and imprisoned. Undeterred, Figaro... Read review

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