Mozart's Divertimento for string trio in E flat major, K. 563, is unique in his output and exemplifies to the hilt his ability to infuse light, conventional forms with compact complexity. Its six-movement structure refers back to the occasional-music divertimento type of the middle 18th century, but the opening movement is dense, the Adagio is a profound statement from the last part of
Mozart's life, and even the two minuets are rhythmically spiky pieces with a
Haydn-like humor. The work provides much for performers to sink their teeth into over its nearly 45-minute length, and this release by a trio of Norwegian and German musicians is one of the best, most absorbing versions available. They are not members of a named trio or quartet, and their playing lacks the machine-like precision that's sometimes possible with long-established groups, but if anything that's to the good here. It's worth remembering that
Mozart's time had no touring string quartets, and these players convey a strong sense of exploring the work in real time, with particularly lively dialogues carried on between violinist
Henning Kraggerud and cellist
Christoph Richter. This album, in fact, has the feel of the classic all-star chamber groups of the middle of the last century, such as those in which
Pablo Casals was often involved, and this kind of approach has rarely been applied to this particular work, which richly deserves it. Even with the inclusion of an unfinished trio fragment to bring down the curtain the album clocks in at just 47 minutes, but you won't feel cheated; you'll want to listen to it multiple times to get all the details. Highly recommended.