Mozart: Flute Concertos / Barthold Kuijken and others

① Barthold Kuijken, La Petite Bande (1990)

② Konrad Hünteler, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Frans Brüggen (1995)

③ Masahiro Arita, Tokyo Bach-Mozart Orchestra (2006)

④ François Lazarevitch, Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien (2024)

First of all, Barthold Kuijken’s performance ① must be mentioned. With a truly full tone, he plays Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 1 and No. 2, as well as the Adagio in C major. It is unfortunate that the Concerto for Flute and Harp is not included in this recording. Bart does not seem to have recorded this piece yet now.

② is a record where Frans Brüggen entrusted the solo to the late Konrad Hünteler, a flutist whom he trusted completely in his Orchestra of the 18th Century. The highlights are the neat performance, warm tone, and gorgeous cadenza. This includes all of the flute works (concerto), including the double concerto with harp performed by Helga Storck.

③ is an LP record, and I think it was the last record I ever bought. After that, the age of CDs came, and I no longer used record players, so I gave this record to an acquaintance who had an analog player, and I no longer have it with me. Of course, I later bought it again on CD. Arita’s performance with the Tokyo Bach-Mozart Orchestra, which he organizes, is so cheerful and with full of innocence. The cadenza is also magnificent. The harp is performed by Masumi Nagasawa. This CD also comes with a bonus track, the “Rondo in D major” for flute and orchestra, K. 373.

Finally, we have François Lazarevitch’s performance ④, just released in 2024. The harp is played by Sandrine Chatron. The first thing you notice when listening to the recording is the richness of the low (double bass) sound of the orchestra, which is far superior to other recordings. The highlights are the cadenzas of each piece, which show off Lazarevitch’s technique and the gallant performance of Chatron’s harp. #mozart #flute #concerto #片山俊幸