Editorial Reviews

What contact even most informed listeners have had with the music of Leopold Mozart is usually limited to his "Schlittenfährt" and the so-called "Toy Symphony," accredited to and partly compiled, but not composed, by him. Based on such highly enjoyable, though lightweight, pieces it would be easy to conclude that Papa Mozart wrote the kinds of things little kids might like, not serious, heavyweight music like that written by his son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. From occasional references made to his own music found in letters, it is clear that Leopold Mozart viewed himself as a "modern" composer, and Arte Nova's disc, Leopold Mozart: Four Symphonies, bears this out. Featuring the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra led by Georg Mais, these four symphonies are distinguished, and independently conceived efforts of the 1750s and 1760s. Overall, these pieces are more ambitious than the type of symphony common during that time, which still had one foot in the "opera overture" stage of development. The elder Mozart's symphonies are technically solid, agreeably melodic, and are at times surprisingly forceful in expression. They demonstrate such accomplishment that one regrets Leopold Mozart began to discard his own musical compositions as if they were just so much junk once littleWolfgang's gift became apparent.

Arte Nova's recording is good, though a bit quiet and fuzzy around edges, typical of its products. The performance by the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra is also quite good, without being outstanding, and some details are rather roughly handled, such as the ungracious delivery of the admittedly difficult ornaments in the "Minuet: Trio" of "Symphony in F, Eisen F5." Nevertheless, it appears that the Arte Nova recordings are the only ones made of these particular Leopold Mozart symphonies, and in the main, this low-budget release is more than satisfactory for making their acquaintance. Uncle Dave Lewis, All Music Guide

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