Wiener Klassik: The Unusual Instrumentation (CD, Winter and Winter)

The premiere of Mozart’s Quintet for piano and winds must of been a shock and at the same time a delight for the audience of the 18th century. The immense richness of colors and sounds were entirely unusual. Mozart had been searching for new challenges and was rewarded. After the premier on April 1st, 1784 Mozart wrote to his father: “… had a very great success … I myself consider it to be the best work I have ever written in my life.” Mozart celebrated one of the greatest triumphs of his career. The near-orchestral rich sonorities, the masterful harmony, the continuing and vigorous dialogue of the oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon with the piano was heard for the first time. Only thirteen years later Beethoven started to work with this unusual instrumentation and tonal colors. His quintet for piano and winds was also premiered in Vienna on April 6, 1797. Beethoven created with the minimal instrumentation a fascinating sound art of simple things, a composition which was prophetic of his later symphonic works. Under the group name “Die Freitagsakademie“ Katharina Suske has gathered some of the finest international artists: Edoardo Torbianelli (fortepiano),