Among the many recordings of the complete Mozart Violin Concertos, this one, with the late Iona Brown directing the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields from the violin, has lain dormant for far too long. Gramophone magazine welcomed it with the words: ‘a series which is outstanding for its freshness and spontaneity in a highly-competitive field. As before, the ASMF respond instinctively to [Iona Brown’s] skilled direction, and the recording is exemplary’. This release includes Mozart’s first effort at a Violin Concerto as well as two of the most popular… the breezy Third Concerto and the colourful Fifth, also known as the ‘Turkish’
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, KV 216
Violin Concerto No. 1 in B flat major, KV 207
Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, KV 219
Iona Brown, violin & conductor
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Recording engineers: Colin Moorfoot; Danny Gosling (No. 3); Stanley Goodall (Nos. 1 & 5)
Recording location: Unitarian Church, Roslyn Hill, London, March 1979 (No. 3); Kingsway Hall, July 1982 (Nos. 1 & 5)
‘a freshness and vigour that is winning … all these performances have an engaging liveliness and are very well integrated’ *** Penguin Guide