Amazing pieces of classical music - 37
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's String Quintet No. 6 in E-flat major, K. 614, was completed eight months before the great composer died on 5 December 1791, and it's in fact his last major chamber work. Like every one of Mozart's string quintets, it's a "viola quintet" in that it is scored for string quartet and an extra viola (two violins, two violas and one cello). One may have noticed that this piece gets mixed reviews, with some even viewing it as less significant due to the composer's financial and health struggles towards the end of his life.
However, many others like Canadian Mozart expert Cliff Eisen praise the highly innovative nature of this and Mozart's contemporary string quintet (K. 593), viewing them both as a departure from the Classical style because they explore the single motivating idea that determines both the surface and structure of the work. This particular Mozart string quintet (K. 614) is often also viewed as a definited and conscious homage to his close friend Joseph Haydn, particularly in the piece's witty finale and the rustic elements in the first movement.
Moreover, Mozart's String Quintet No. 6 is highly impetuous, and one can find little peace or quiet in its composition. Even the moderately slow sequences are also full of dynamic insertions. Thus different in tone than any of Mozart's later quartets it’s one of the cheeriest pieces he ever wrote with the feel more of a wind quartet rather than a string quintet. The work's cheerful quality is also the result of Mozart's skillful use of contrasts, like the juxtaposition of "popular" and "learned" styles, and the interplay of instruments.
For Kenneth Clark's tv-series Civilization (specifically the third movement, Munuetto allegro, of this piece) it was yet again performed by the Amadeus String Quartet accompanied this time by extra viola player Cecil Aronowitz in 1957. The five musicians harmonized together impressively, playing elegantly, faithfully, and technically perfectly. Dave Huwitz noted: "No one looks to a Viennese-trained ensemble of the 1950s and ’60s for period-performance rectitude, but it’s surprising how many elements of their stylish playing don’t sound dated at all".
The subtle nuances, the sparkling execution, and the delicate, almost rococo-like poetry that always resonates are striking. The sound quality is also very good considering its age. It is assumed that the Amadeus Quartet was better with the music of Schubert and Brahms, but as many connoisseurs like Hurwitz would recognize this recording is quite warm and humane, and that's certainly not a bad thing. Which is exactly the point that Clark was trying to make in his ninth episode entitled "The Pursuit of Happiness" for a past age when opera buildings were being built like pilgrim churches
[media=https://youtu.be/CkvvFERHy9s]
However, many others like Canadian Mozart expert Cliff Eisen praise the highly innovative nature of this and Mozart's contemporary string quintet (K. 593), viewing them both as a departure from the Classical style because they explore the single motivating idea that determines both the surface and structure of the work. This particular Mozart string quintet (K. 614) is often also viewed as a definited and conscious homage to his close friend Joseph Haydn, particularly in the piece's witty finale and the rustic elements in the first movement.
Moreover, Mozart's String Quintet No. 6 is highly impetuous, and one can find little peace or quiet in its composition. Even the moderately slow sequences are also full of dynamic insertions. Thus different in tone than any of Mozart's later quartets it’s one of the cheeriest pieces he ever wrote with the feel more of a wind quartet rather than a string quintet. The work's cheerful quality is also the result of Mozart's skillful use of contrasts, like the juxtaposition of "popular" and "learned" styles, and the interplay of instruments.
For Kenneth Clark's tv-series Civilization (specifically the third movement, Munuetto allegro, of this piece) it was yet again performed by the Amadeus String Quartet accompanied this time by extra viola player Cecil Aronowitz in 1957. The five musicians harmonized together impressively, playing elegantly, faithfully, and technically perfectly. Dave Huwitz noted: "No one looks to a Viennese-trained ensemble of the 1950s and ’60s for period-performance rectitude, but it’s surprising how many elements of their stylish playing don’t sound dated at all".
The subtle nuances, the sparkling execution, and the delicate, almost rococo-like poetry that always resonates are striking. The sound quality is also very good considering its age. It is assumed that the Amadeus Quartet was better with the music of Schubert and Brahms, but as many connoisseurs like Hurwitz would recognize this recording is quite warm and humane, and that's certainly not a bad thing. Which is exactly the point that Clark was trying to make in his ninth episode entitled "The Pursuit of Happiness" for a past age when opera buildings were being built like pilgrim churches
[media=https://youtu.be/CkvvFERHy9s]
