Mozart & Schoeck: Serenades Roberto González Monjas & Musikkollegium Winterthur

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Serenade No. 7 in D Major K. 250 "Haffner":
• 1 Serenade No. 7 in D Major K. 250 "Haffner": I. Marcia. Maestoso 04:01
• 2 Serenade No. 7 in D Major K. 250 "Haffner": II. Allegro maestoso - Allegro molto 09:35
• 3 Serenade No. 7 in D Major K. 250 "Haffner": III. Andante 09:06
• 4 Serenade No. 7 in D Major K. 250 "Haffner": IV. Menuetto - Trio 04:00
• 5 Serenade No. 7 in D Major K. 250 "Haffner": V. Rondeau. Allegro 08:42
• 6 Serenade No. 7 in D Major K. 250 "Haffner": VI. Menuetto galante - Trio 05:37
• 7 Serenade No. 7 in D Major K. 250 "Haffner": VII. Andante 07:34
• 8 Serenade No. 7 in D Major K. 250 "Haffner": VIII. Menuetto - Trio I. - Trio II. 05:21
• 9 Serenade No. 7 in D Major K. 250 "Haffner": IX. Adagio - Allegro assai 09:44
• Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957): Serenade for Small Orchestra, Op. 1:
• 10 Serenade for Small Orchestra, Op. 1: Allegro ma non troppo 08:16
• Total Runtime 01:11:56

Info for Mozart & Schoeck: Serenades

They were both just twenty years young and always good for a musical laugh when they composed the serenades we have recorded on this CD. One of them, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, wrote his “Haffner Serenade” KV 250 for Sigmund Haffner d. J., who had commissioned him with a “Braut Musick” for his sister Marie Elisabeth's wedding with Franz Xaver Anton Späth from Salzburg. The other one, Othmar Schoeck, 130 years later humorously reverberated this genre, which had peaked in Mozart’s works composed from 1769 until 1779.

The genre of the serenade originates in the 16th century. Its purpose was to perform music outdoors at night so as to honor a beloved one or to show respect to a high-ranking person. In Salzburg, it developed into a separate tradition known as “Finalmusik”, with which the students of the University of Salzburg thanked their sovereign at the end of the academic year. At first, the musicians played the work commissioned for this occasion in the courtyard of the summer residence of the Prince-Archbishop. Afterwards, while marching through town, they performed a march also specially composed for the occasion, which had to be played by heart. Finally, a second performance was given for the University professors in front of the “Kollegiengebäude”, the main building of the University. As we know from Nannerl Mozart's diary, such prestigious event lasted for approximately two and a half hours, thus requiring more than merely a simple serenade. Therefore, besides the serenade, genres such as the notturno, kassation and divertimento were embedded in the “Finalmusik”. Among Salzburg composers regularly commissioned with “Finalmusiken” were Michael Haydn, Joseph Hafeneder and Mozart's father Leopold; he supposedly wrote over 30 serenades.

Roberto Gonzalez Monjas, violin, director
Musikkollegium Wnterthur

Roberto Gonzalez Monjas
Highly sought-after as a conductor and violinist, Roberto González-Monjas is rapidly making a mark on the international scene. A natural musical leader with strong vision and clarity, Roberto possess a unique mixture of remarkable personal charisma, an abundance of energy, enthusiasm and fierce intelligence. Roberto is currently designate Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of Dalasinfoniettan where his tenure commences in 19/20 season.

Roberto’s eclectic concert diary includes regular conducting, play-directing and engagements as a soloist with orchestras such as the Musikkollegium Winterthur, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de l’Opera National de Bordeaux Aquitaine, New World Symphony in Miami and Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra. Passionate about chamber music collaborations, Roberto is a regular guest at Verbier and Lockenhaus Festivals. He frequently collaborates with singers and instrumentalists including Ian Bostridge, Yuja Wang, Janine Jansen, Alexander Lonquich, Lisa Batiashvili, Fazil Say, Reinhard Goebel, Thomas Quasthoff, András Schiff and Kit Armstrong.

Most recently Roberto undertook a variety of conducting, play-direct and chamber music projects with the Musikkollegium Winterthur including a tour of Asia with the clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer. As a passionate champion of the music of living composers, Roberto’s close association with composer Richard Dubugnon has resulted in a new Violin Concerto, which Roberto premiered in May 2018 with the Musikkollegium Winterthur.

Future significant guest conducting debuts include collaborations with Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Ulster Orchestra, Les Musiciens du Louvre, RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, MÁV Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, Macedonian Philharmonic and re-invitations to Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orquesta Joven de la Sinfónica de Galicia. Across ‘18/’19 & ‘19/’20 seasons, Roberto serves as the Principal Guest Artist with Orquesta Sinfonica de Castilla y Leon in his hometown Valladolid. In this capacity, Roberto will conduct the orchestra both in their subscription series in Valladolid and in concerts across the Castilla y León region. Furthermore, Roberto will perform as a soloist, lead chamber music projects and take part in educational activities.

Passionate and dedicated to education and nurturing potential of emerging musicians, Roberto co-founded Iberacademy (Ibero-American Orchestral Academy) together with conductor Alejandro Posada. This institution aims at creating an efficient and sustainable model of musical education in Latin America, focusing on vulnerable segments of the population and supporting highly talented young musicians; while based in Medellín (Colombia), it also operates in Bolivia, Perú, Chile and Cuba, providing its students with life-changing opportunities. Most recently Roberto embarked on a European tour with the Iberacademy Orchestra and star tenor Rolando Villazón, with concerts at the Lucerne Easter Festival and the Mozarteum Stiftung in Salzburg. Roberto also serves as a violin professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and undertakes a number of conducting projects with the Guildhall School Chamber and Symphony Orchestras.

With an impressively eclectic and wide-ranging repertoire, Roberto’s variety of styles and interests is also displayed in his recent recording debut featuring Serenades by W. A. Mozart and Othmar Schoeck, released on Claves Records. Gramophone reviewers wrote: In all its 64 minutes’ worth of music, saved from outstaying its welcome by Mozart’s ever-questing ear for an effect, among the most piquant perhaps being the pizzicato passage towards the end of the Andante. It’s played admirably here, under the direction of the well-traveled Roberto González-Monjas. Roberto also contributed as a soloist to Sony Classical’s release of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti with the Berlin Baroque Soloists and Reinhard Goebel.

Roberto González-Monjas is currently the leader of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Musikkollegium Winterthur. He plays a 1710 Giuseppe Guarnieri ‘filius Andreae’ violin kindly loaned to him by five Winterthur families and the Rychenberg Stiftung.

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