This is a wonderful coupling of two of Mozart's most charming works.
K364 is for me a fine performance, the soloists prove themselves more than capable and their interplay brings out the musicality of this great work. It is no poorer for not having two headline names (I'm sure BPO officianardos will have heard of the soloists but i had not).
If there is any criticism it's that in the slow movement Bohm's choice of tempi (slightly faster than in Oistrakh's version) and a lack of pianissimo mean that it does not achieve the profundity of the latter and is slightly more workmanlike. It certainly could not be accused of wallowing in sentimentality, but this is still a very capable performance.
The record's worth is heightened by the pairing with K297b, which is a perfect match . This is a work that has not been recorded so often, and in recent times there appears to have been a move to reintroduce Mozart's 'original' intention of using a flute rather than clarinet, although the fact that the work was reconstructed post Mozart means that any striving for real authenticity is somewhat pointless and must take secondary place in my opinion to the effedctiveness of the music making. Certainly I prefer the clarinet version, simply because I find it a more attractive instrument.
Whilst the origins of the completed K297b remain in doubt it remains a very lovely work, full of wonderful Mozartian phrasing. I agree with Bernard O'Hanlon that this performance is stunning; from the tempi chosen to the superlative playing it just leaps out as a great recording and although I have in no way made an exhaustive search of alternative versions (I am interested in trying out the Kertesz Bamberg recording if only because he was a great interpreter of Mozart) I am confident I would not find better.
As Mr O'Hanlon has stated the slow movement of K297b is a real highlight in the canon, but the whole performance here shines, with the repetitions of the main theme in the first movement not losing their freshness.
These are 'meaty' performances by Bohm, a world away from the more recent trend towards historical authenticity, but I for one prefer an argument based on what works rather than how a piece may have been performed over 200 years ago. Certainly the big band approach here is not allowed to wallow in stodginess (I am not a fan of the Bohm symphonies 40 and 41 which for me lumber on) and the performances are fresh and alert, helped by a wonderful remastering. Modern digital recordings may bring out an extra degree of clarity, but you are unlikely to find a better pairing of these two works. I would strongly recommend this to any fans of Mozart.
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