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Formed in 1949, the London Mozart Players have built a formidable international reputation as a world renowned chamber orchestra. This concert featured the chamber ensemble from the orchestra made up of the various principals, and it proved an intimate and cultured affair.
The opening work (introduced by Principal Horn Christopher Newport) was Mozart’s tricky Horn Quintet. The unusual scoring (1 violin, 2 violas, cello and horn) makes for a very mellow texture which can lack clarity without careful treatment. The quintet rose splendidly to that challenge with a well balanced, sensitive performance, Chris Newport dazzling the audience with a virtuosic last movement display.
Next came Beethoven’s G Major String Trio. All the early string trios were largely a giant experiment by Beethoven before he turned his attention to the quartet medium, but such is the skill of their construction and musical content that they stand successfully alone as extraordinary works of great character and beauty.
David Juritz swapped the viola for the violin following the Mozart and produced some memorable, distinguished playing; he was admirably and subtedly supported by colleagues, Judith Busbridge and Sebastian Comberti, in this demanding and often exposed work.
The second half brought Schubert’s Octet as the single extensive work and the full complement of players on display. One was immediately struck by the consummate artistry, both in a solo and chamber capacity: each player contributed with well crafted, tasteful but individually tailored renditions of Schubert’s beguiling themes whilst offering the most controlled and expert contributions to the overall texture.
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