Sinfonia Concertante Kv 364

This ninth instalment in the Next Generation Mozart Soloists series brings together four young soloists under the baton of conductor Howard Griffiths and reveals the enormous breadth of Mozart's creativity. Mozart most likely heard a sinfonia concertante for the first time — a work in which a group of solo instruments engages in dialogue with the orchestra — in 1778 in Paris. The following year he composed such a work for violin, viola and orchestra: the Sinfonia concertante KV 364. It is recorded here by Johan Dalene and Eivind Ringstad, who speak highly of the way Mozart gave the viola equal standing with the violin. Mozart composed no fewer than four horn concertos in Vienna; the first he composed is performed here by Alexandre Zanetta, who admits to being fascinated by its finesse, complexity and humour. Pianist Ariel Lanyi describes the two rondos for piano and orchestra KV 382 and KV 386 recorded here as perfect examples of simplicity and variety, as well as passages that are truly operatic in style.