Violinist
Rachel Podger and fortepianist
Gary Cooper collaborate again on their fifth volume of Mozart's complete sonatas for keyboard and violin. As in previous volumes, these were conceived of as keyboard sonatas with violin accompaniment. This concept is abundantly clear in the very early Sonata, K. 31, where the violin serves a very meager role, but one that
Podger makes as interesting and exciting as anyone could hope for. Tremendous contrast and growth can be seen when comparing K. 31 to K. 305/306 where Mozart's development of the medium leans more and more on the violin as an equal collaborator if not dominant instrument.
Podger's playing is electric throughout and not a single note goes by without getting some sort of special attention.
Cooper's performance is equally elegant and refined -- save for some boxy-sounding octaves in his instrument's lower range -- and the two musicians play off each other quite well. The only real complaints to be found in this volume (or others, for that matter) reside in the liner notes and packaging. Channel Classics continues its peculiar notation of flats (with a small, upper case "B") and the English translation of the liner notes is still quite poor. Earlier sonatas, in this case K. 31, receive very little mention or historical background compared to their older siblings. Still, from a listening point of view, this series remains one of the finest available.