Mozart: 3 Violin Concertos

1	Violin Concerto No. 3 in
2	Violin Concerto No. 3 in
3	Violin Concerto No. 3 in
4	Violin Concerto No. 4 in
5	Violin Concerto No. 4 in
6	Violin Concerto No. 4 in
7	Violin Concerto No. 5 in
8	Violin Concerto No. 5 in
9	Violin Concerto No. 5 in
Mozart: 3 Violin Concertos
1.	Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216 24:08
	Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Conducted by Andrew Manze
	Performed by English Consort and Andrew Manze
2.	Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218 22:41
	Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Conducted by Andrew Manze
	Performed by English Consort and Andrew Manze
3.	Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major ("Turkish") K. 219 28:49
	Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
	Conducted by Andrew Manze
	Performed by English Consort and Andrew Manze

Barnes & Noble

With dazzling recordings of Vivaldi and Biber in their catalog, Andrew Manze and the English Concert offer this outstanding disc of Mozart violin concertos. Mozart has rapidly become a Manze forte: His previous recording was an incisive set of the composer's violin sonatas, accompanied by frequent partner Richard Egarr, and his first project after becoming director of the English Concert in 2003 was a buoyant disc of Eine kleine Nachtmusik. Not content to rest on his laurels, Manze invests this latest undertaking with the same spirit of fresh discovery, presenting performances of remarkable eloquence and lyricism. Listening to the Adagio of the G Major Concerto, for instance, the delicacy of the singing melody line takes your breath away, while the following Rondeau dances gracefully. Where other violinists may be content to deliver high-wattage virtuosity -- of which this artist is perfectly capable, on the evidence of his own cadenzas here -- Manze presents richly rewarding readings full of imagination and expression. Similar to his sonatas disc, which focused on composition from the year 1781, Manze narrows his program to three concertos from late 1775, once again allowing an intriguing fine-point perspective on the composer's output. The English Concert accompanies with subtlety to match Manze's playing, filling out one of the finest discs yet to emerge in the cornucopia of Mozart-year releases. EJ Johnson

All Music Guide

Some say it's violinist Andrew Manze's tone that makes him distinctive, that there's a sweetness to his non-vibrato swells and a strength to his flexible bowing that make his playing so attractive. Some say it's Manze's phrasing that makes him distinctive, that there's a lyrical quality to his line and a molded quality to his dynamics that make his playing so appealing. Some say it's Manze's interpretation that makes him so distinctive, that there's a combination of fantasy, intensity, and effortless virtuosity that make his performances so persuasive. Some say it's all these things at once and this 2006 disc of the last three of Mozart's five violin concertos is the proof. For those who find Manze's distinctive playing attractive, appealing, and persuasive, his performances here as soloist and director of the English Consort will be equally convincing. The sweet tone of his line suits the "G major Concerto"'s central Adagio. The lyrical intensity of his fantasy fits the "D major Concerto"'s closing Rondeau Andante grazioso. The molded flexibility of his virtuosity matches the "A major Concerto"'s opening Allegro aperto. The English Consort is light, lean, and wholly as one with Manze's direction. Harmonia Mundi's sound is essentially transparent and without blemish. James Leonard

Gramophone

Manze...gives performances that for inventiveness, impish fun and close, conspiratorial rapport between the soloist and orchestra have never been bettered.... Typically he can make you think afresh about the music. Richard Wigmore

Stereophile

[April 2006 Recording of the Month] With his usual stupendous ear for detail, Manze has sculpted each of these gems with great warmth and intelligence.... This is an elegant, delightful recording, and already one of the year's best. Robert Levine

Newark Star-Ledger

Andrew Manze...makes special claims with this beautifully recorded album of Violin Concertos Nos. 3-5. As with Manze's recent disc of Mozart sonatas, his concerto performances beguile with their spontaneity and tonal flair. Bradley Bambarger

The Observer

They don't come much better than the elegant Andrew Manze, directing the English Concert while playing a stylish solo (and his own cadenzas) in three violin concertos. Anthony Holden