Barnes & Noble

While many classical music listeners have heard of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's father, Leopold (through the movie Amadeus, if from no other source), fewer know that Nannerl, Mozart's sister, also shared the talent that ran strong in that family, even if her abilities were not nurtured as much as her brother's. But only a mere handful know of Franz Xaver, the younger son of Wolfgang and the "other" Mozart alluded to in the title of this disc from soprano Barbara Bonney. Bonney stumbled upon these concise, gently lyrical songs while searching for music from the Mozart family, an occasion the singer equates to having "discovered a new species, or an island in the Pacific." Certainly, it's not every day that such charming music is brought to light, and although Franz Xaver was clearly a competent composer whose songs provide a fascinating link between those of his father and Schubert, he was, so to speak, no Mozart. Still, there is much here to enjoy: "An Emma," on a text of Schiller, is especially Schubertian (as well as bearing a resemblance to Barbarina's Cavatina from the last act of The Marriage of Figaro), and the beautiful closing selections -- "Bertha's Lied in der Nacht" (Bertha's Night Song) and "Erinnerung" (Memory) -- are the gems of the lot. No mere vanity project, The Other Mozart illuminates a forgotten corner of music history and offers a delightful counterpoint to the crush of Mozart-year releases that are currently filling the catalog. EJ Johnson

Fanfare

This is an outstanding album that may start out as a curiosity but will become a cherished treasure for those who are fortunate enough to acquire it. James Camner