Mozart & Salieri: Works Armonia Ensemble

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Serenade No. 10 in B-Flat Major, K. 361 "Gran partita":
• 1 Mozart: Serenade No. 10 in B-Flat Major, K. 361 "Gran partita": I. Largo. Molto allegro 08:43
• 2 Mozart: Serenade No. 10 in B-Flat Major, K. 361 "Gran partita": II. Menuetto 08:16
• 3 Mozart: Serenade No. 10 in B-Flat Major, K. 361 "Gran partita": III. Adagio 04:37
• 4 Mozart: Serenade No. 10 in B-Flat Major, K. 361 "Gran partita": IV. Menuetto. Allegretto 04:21
• 5 Mozart: Serenade No. 10 in B-Flat Major, K. 361 "Gran partita": V. Romance. Adagio 05:48
• 6 Mozart: Serenade No. 10 in B-Flat Major, K. 361 "Gran partita": VI. Tema con variazioni 09:26
• 7 Mozart: Serenade No. 10 in B-Flat Major, K. 361 "Gran partita": VII. Finale. Molto allegro 03:29
• Antonio Salieri (1750 - 1825):
• 8 Salieri: La grotta di Trofonio: Ouvertüre (Arr. T.J. Herrmann for Chamber Ensemble) 05:16
• 9 Salieri: Armonia per un tempio della notte 05:33
• Antonio Salieri: Picciola serenata in B-Flat Major:
• 10 Salieri: Picciola serenata in B-Flat Major: I. Allegretto 03:23
• 11 Salieri: Picciola serenata in B-Flat Major: II. Larghetto 02:42
• 12 Salieri: Picciola serenata in B-Flat Major: III. Minuetto - Trio 04:58
• 13 Salieri: Picciola serenata in B-Flat Major: IV. Presto 02:04
• Total Runtime 01:08:36

Info for Mozart & Salieri: Works

The armonia ensemble, made from the ranks of the Gewandhaus Orchestra and the MDR Symphony Orchestra wind sections, dishes up a veritable explosion of sound on their new GENUIN CD. At the heart of their exploration of Harmoniemusik, music for an ensemble of woodwinds, horns, and double bass, is Mozart's Gran Partita, the opus ultimum of the genre. In addition, the elite wind players allow us to discover three works by Salieri, whose material was crafted just for them: An opera overture, an Armonia per un Tempio della Notte, and a Piccola Serenata. The armonia ensemble produces a dense, historically informed sound that beautifully showcases the splendor of these four extraordinary works. Eine wahre Klangexplosion serviert uns das armonia ensemble, eine Bläserformation aus den Reihen von Gewandhausorchester und MDR-Sinfonieorchester auf ihrer neuen GENUIN-CD. Im Zentrum ihrer Beschäftigung mit Harmoniemusik, also einer Besetzung aus Holzbläsern, Hörnern und Kontrabass, steht das Opus Ultimum des Genres, nämlich Mozarts Gran Partita. Darüber hinaus lassen uns die Elite-Bläser drei Werke von Salieri entdecken, deren Material extra für sie hergestellt wurde: Eine Opernouvertüre, eine Nachtmusik und eine Kleine Serenade. Das armonia ensemble produziert einen dichten, historisch informierten Klang, der die Pracht der vier außergewöhnlichen Werke wunderbar zur Geltung bringt.

armonia ensemble

The armonia ensemble
was founded in 2000 by members of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. The term “armonia” comes from Italian and stands for the genre of Harmoniemusik, i.e. music for mixed wind ensemble. In addition to their daily work in the symphony and opera orchestra, the ensemble’s main objective is to devote itself energetically to chamber music for winds.

In addition to performances in their hometown, the Leipzig musicians, regularly reinforced by guests from the MDR Symphony Orchestra, appear in renowned chamber music series and at leading festivals such as at the Semperoper Dresden, Beethovenhaus Bonn, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Rheingau Music Festival, and Mozart Festival Würzburg.

The basis of the ensemble is the classical wind octet with two oboes, clarinets, horns, and bassoons. To round out the sound, a contrabassoon or a double bass is always included if possible. In special cases the nonet can be supplemented by a flute, English horn, or bass clarinet. The repertoire of the armonia ensemble ranges from the trio d’anches to the classical wind quintet and works like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Gran Partita and the serenades of Antonín Dvořák and Richard Strauss.

In addition to the original literature, arrangements, particularly from the opera repertoire, are also presented. The armonia ensemble has commissioned and performed several of the latter. The ensemble regularly collaborates with chamber music partners such as pianists Igor Levit and Franz Vorraber. They have made radio productions with Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk and Südwestrundfunk. In 2014, a critically-acclaimed CD featuring Richard Strauss’s two Sonatinas for sixteen wind instruments was released.

Booklet for Mozart & Salieri: Works