Mozart: Complete Flute Quartets Andrea Manco, Joël Impérial, Gianluca Muzzolon & Andrea Pecolo

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Flute Quartet in D Major, K. 285:
• 1 Flute Quartet in D Major, K. 285: I. Allegro 06:51
• 2 Flute Quartet in D Major, K. 285: II. Adagio 02:36
• 3 Flute Quartet in D Major, K. 285: III. Rondeau 04:35
• Flute Quartet in G Major, K. 285a:
• 4 Flute Quartet in G Major, K. 285a: I. Andante 05:35
• 5 Flute Quartet in G Major, K. 285a: II. Tempo di minuetto 02:30
• Oboe Quartet in F Major, K. 370:
• 6 Oboe Quartet in F Major, K. 370: I. Allegro 06:42
• 7 Oboe Quartet in F Major, K. 370: II. Adagio 03:17
• 8 Oboe Quartet in F Major, K. 370: III. Rondeau. Allegro 04:16
• Flute Quartet in C Major, K. 285b:
• 9 Flute Quartet in C Major, K. 285b: I. Allegro 05:51
• 10 Flute Quartet in C Major, K. 285b: II. Andantino. Tema con variazioni 10:31
• Flute Quartet in A Major, K. 298:
• 11 Flute Quartet in A Major, K. 298: I. Andante. Tema con variazioni 06:04
• 12 Flute Quartet in A Major, K. 298: II. Minuetto - Trio 02:19
• 13 Flute Quartet in A Major, K. 298: III. Rondeau. Allegretto grazioso 03:22
• Total Runtime 01:04:29

Info for Mozart: Complete Flute Quartets

During the late 18th century, compositions for string trio with a wind instrument were extremely popular in amateur circles; and in keeping with this highly fashionable trend, Mozart composed four quartets for flute and strings while on a tour of France and Germany with his mother. The 22-year-old composer had lately made the acquaintance of a solo flautist, Johann Baptist Wendling, who was in contact with a rich flute-playing patron. A handsome fee was offered for some concertos and quartets – more than Mozart’s annual salary as a court musician back at home in Salzburg – and so he set to work, completing the first quartet, K385, on Christmas Day 1777. The other works here may have been composed later – perhaps Mozart ran out of enthusiasm for the project – but they all count as examples of refined chamber music conceived for skilled amateur players and domestic consumption, While hardly as complex a showcase of Mozart’s compositional skills as the string quartets he dedicated to Haydn, all four quartets abounding in gentle wit and good humour, and written not as mini-concertos for flute and string trio but as chamber music for equal partners. Every now and then Mozart touches the sublime, as so often he could, such as the slow variation movement of K285b, which recalls the similar movement in the ‘Gran Partita’ wind serenade in its weightless gravity of expression. This new recording of the quartets offers a substantial bonus, in the shape of the Oboe Quartet K370 arranged for the ensemble at hand. The performances are led by the Italian flautist Andrea Manco, who in 2003, at just 20 years old, became principal flute of the Teatro Regio orchestra in Turin under the directorship of Gianandrea Noseda. Since then he has played principal flute for many fine orchestras in Europe and farther afield, and in 2014 he took a solo flute post at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. He is joined here by a trio of equally experienced, Itallian-based string players. This album marks his debut on Brilliant Classics.

Andrea Manco, flute
Andrea Pecolo, violin
Joël Impérial, alto
Gianluca Muzzolon, cello

Andrea Manco
He studied at Lecce’s Conservatory, led by L. Bisanti. He improved at Imola’s Accademia with Persichilli, Mercelli and Cambursano, in Florence with Marasco and at the “Conservatoire Superieure de Musique”, Geneve, with Jacques Zoon. He’s considered to be one of the most brilliant flutists of his generation, he obtained awards in the main international competitions. In 2002 he was chosen by Riccardo Muti as first flute in the “Luigi Cherubini” Youth Orchestra. In 2003, only 20 years old, he got first flute place in the Teatro Regio di Torino Orchestra. In 2014 he won the first flute contest for Teatro alla Scala di Milano Orchestra. He teaches Flute at Imola’s Accademia Pianistica.

Booklet for Mozart: Complete Flute Quartets