Were it not for
David Jolley's engaging performances, this fairly ordinary recording of
Mozart's Horn Concertos might slip by without much attention. As the soloist in all four concertos and the Concert Rondo, K. 371,
Jolley delivers robust interpretations with a warm tone and smooth execution, and his fine playing is consistent throughout the disc. Less satisfying, however, is the orchestral accompaniment provided by the
Israel Sinfonietta, directed by
Uri Mayer. While the musicians are competent and play cleanly, their performances feel uninspired and workaday, as if the recording sessions had become routine.
Mayer strives for a pleasant orchestral blend that puts the solo horn in high relief, but the results are often so homogenous that the wind parts seem neutralized by the strings, and the ensemble hangs back too much. An exception to this may be found in the Romanze, K. 447, where
Mozart's distinctive orchestration exposes the winds and requires the most skillful handling of colors. The
Sinfonietta's use of modern instruments may not be a difficulty for some listeners, but the lack of period timbres and the orchestra's rather hefty size may strike others as problematic, if not wholly unsatisfactory. Arabesque's sound is decent, though
Jolley's microphone is perhaps too close for comfort.