Mozart and Haydn double joy
The Duo Sonatas of Mozart and Haydn are brought delightfully to life by Rachel Podger and Jane Rogers.
Composer: Mozart, M Haydn
Repertoire: Duo Sonatas
Artist: Rachel Podger (vln), Jane Rogers (vla)
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Chamber
Label: Channel ccssa32411
The Music: When Michael Haydn (Joseph’s younger brother) ran out of time to complete a commission for six duos, Mozart generously stepped in with two masterpieces of his own.
The Performance: Even the ear-tweaking sensitivity and engagingly supple inflections of these fine performances cannot disguise the creative gulf that exists between the two composers. Haydn composes in a tune-and-accompaniment style in which the viola takes a musical back seat for the most part, whereas Mozart dovetails his materials so miraculously that the listener is barely aware that only two players are involved. So well matched are violinist Rachel Podger and viola player Jane Rogers that they sound musically inseparable.
The Verdict: Remarkably fresh and spontaneous-sounding performances, meticulously voiced and balanced, that are models of Classical poise and precision.
Want More? Savour more of Podger’s Mozart on the first volume in her distinguished sonata series (Channel ccssa 21804).
