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Mozart wrote these masterpieces over two centuries ago, yet somehow
they remain so familiar, so moving, so relevant to our lives, even though we
live in an entirely different era. Musicologists, critics, writers and musicians
have all sought to penetrate this mystery. All in vain. Mozart must have had a
degree of humanism, or of humanity, greater than that of language, fashion
or technical prowess to withstand the passage of so much time.When asked
about this - admittedly rather banal - theme, Richard Strauss responded: “
All
Mozart had to do was sing
.” To sing with a soprano or, even better, a clarinet or
violin, and it went straight to the heart. Clichés like “there are always tears
behind a smile in his music” need to be avoided at all cost, even if they’re true.
It’s better to let yourself be carried away by his scores without any reservation
whatsoever.
And then there are the small miracles: the encounter between Mozart and
a handful of inspired interpreters. We have all experienced a moment of
ineffable grace, thanks to recordings - when Clara Haskil or Murray Perahia
play one of his piano concertos, Carlo-Maria Giulini conducts
Don Giovanni
,
Teresa Berganza sings Cherubino, Arthur Grumiaux interprets a sonata
or violin concerto, Bruno Walter tackles one of his late symphonies or the
Requiem
.
30 MOZART_TALICH QUARTET