As an aural souvenir of the Mozart Matinees given by
Sándor Végh and the
Camerata Academica Salzburg at the annual Salzburg Festival between 1988 and 1993, this three-disc Orfeo set cannot be bettered. Appropriately, the repertoire is Mozart at his lightest and most entertaining: an early symphony, a pair of cassations, a couple of serenades, a trio of divertimentos, and, as the centerpiece of each disc, a piano concerto featuring
Andras Schiff.
Végh is at the top of his form here, smiling and winking, bobbing and weaving, bounding and soaring through the music with the utmost elegance and the greatest energy. Better known as the founder and leader of the
Végh Quartet,
Végh has a player's understanding of the way ensembles work and his leadership here is firm but collegial with supple phrasing, flexible tempos, and an admirable balance between sense and sensitivity. From the expert
Camerata Academica Salzburg, he elicits performances of amazing refinement and grace, and with pianist
Schiff, he creates performances of wonderful spirit and energy. Though naturally not intended to serve as one's only acquaintance with these works, these performances are entirely delightful and deserve a hearing by anyone who loves Mozart. Recorded live at the Salzburg Festival, Orfeo's sound is bright, clean, forceful, and evocative. One can sometimes hear the audience cough or shift and the performers breathe and moan.