Mozart?

Alright, let's put this out there right now - when I'm ill, under-the-weather, sicko -  I tend to shy away from more abrasive sounds. Nothing wrong with abrasive cacophony, but something about sinus pressure just doesn't make me reach for the Edgard Varese perse. Over the course of the past few years as I've been building up my classical record collection I will occasionally buy a Mozart record if it looks clean and/or interesting on some level. I try not to think about it too much - kinda like the Opera stuff - I know its a forest one could get lost in pretty easily so I just dart in and out once in awhile to visit (noting all the available exits to use when necessary). So it is with Mozart. The above record met a few criteria - clean copy (cover still in the shrink), french horn (I like french horn) and the featured artist, Barry Tuckwell, is rocking a Frank Zappa-styled 'stache and soul patch. Cool, man! The music is great, as it turns out. Recorded in 1972 at Abbey Road studios in England. I had such a bangin' headache, neck-ache, back-ache thing this morning - this is the only music that made sense to me. Rock on, Barry.

The record below, also Mozart, features Concertos for Flute and Harp. Much the same as Barry's horn concertos this music is orderly, tonally up-beat and darnit! It's the Age of Reason all over again, folks. Mozart's world is an orderly and purposeful place (well, at least in the world of his music - his real life was a total mess, of course - a lot like REAL LIFE, right?). Mahler dug Mozart. That's a pretty big recommendation right there. I can recommend this record. It has no right to sound as good as it does. The label says "Telefunken", but the LP was pressed in the US. Telefunken LPs manufactured in Europe were usually pressed by Decca - I can't tell if US Decca pressed this LP. I almost doubt it since it actually sounds good. No real match for a nice European pressing, but still enjoyable. My copy is mono though the jacket indicates that a stereo version was indeed available. I can heartily advocate mono classical records. They have a charm all their own - often revealing a balanced sound that can be appreciated no matter where you happen to be in your house. No need to sit in the "sweet spot" for maximum effect. Remember folks - mono was THE STANDARD of the industry at one time. Anyway - here's a thumbs up for some Mozart.