(2024) Franz Xaver Mozart: the two piano concertos
Category(ies): Orchestra Piano
Instrument(s): Piano
Main Composer: Franz Xaver Mozart
Orchestra: Musikkollegium Winterthur
Conductor: Bogdan Božović
CD set: 1
Catalog N°:
CD 3070
Release: 10.05.2024
EAN/UPC: 7619931307022
This album is now on repressing. Pre-order it at a special price now.
CHF 18.50
This album is no longer available on CD.
This album has not been released yet. Pre-order it from now.
CHF 18.50
This album is no longer available on CD.
CHF 18.50
VAT included for Switzerland & UE
Free shipping
This album is no longer available on CD.
VAT included for Switzerland & UE
Free shipping
This album is now on repressing. Pre-order it at a special price now.
CHF 18.50
This album is no longer available on CD.
This album has not been released yet.
Pre-order it at a special price now.
CHF 18.50
This album is no longer available on CD.
CHF 18.50
This album is no longer available on CD.
NEW: Purchases are now made in the currency of your country. Change country here or at checkout
FRANZ XAVER MOZART: THE TWO PIANO CONCERTOS
MUSICAL HOMAGE TO FRANZ XAVER MOZART
With this second recording of piano concertos - following the Variations in 2021 - I am extending my Franz Xaver Mozart project. Already at an early stage in my career as a pianist, I felt a special connection to the compositions of Franz Xaver Mozart. It was his 1st Piano Concerto that I performed during my first orchestral performance abroad at the age of 13, that took place in Switzerland, accompanied by the INSO Lviv Orchestra. His music stirred my soul and still inspires me today. After my studies, I became intensively absorbed in Franz Xavier Mozart’s work. In the process, I kept discovering new precious musical gems. His work in Galicia continues to invigorate the multicultural life of the region to this day. With the expansion of this Franz Xaver Mozart project, I hope his music will step out of his father’s shadow, the great master Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and be recognised accordingly. I am convinced that his legacy has not yet been fully explored, which motivates me to continue my research..
LEMBERGER MOZART, HIS LIFE AND HIS TWO PIANO CONCERTOS
Franz Xaver Mozart (1791-1844) was born in Vienna. He received a thorough musical education as a pianist and composer, first in Prague and then in Vienna. In 1808, he went to Galicia as a private music teacher. In 1813, he settled in Lemberg, the “capital of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria”. F. X. Mozart was very active there as a concert pianist, a teacher and an organiser of the musical life, initially promoting the legacy of his brilliant father. In Lviv, he taught the piano to Polish aristocratic families. He also maintained close contact with the Baroni von Cavalcabo family, especially with Josephine Baroni von Cavalcabo, who was appointed the executrix of his will after his death. In 1826, he founded in Lemberg the Cecilian Society for Austrian Music Lovers, which organised numerous church music concerts until 1829. In 1838, F. X. Mozart left Lemberg and moved to Vienna. He died in Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) in 1844.
As a composer, F. X Mozart produced a rich oeuvre in which chamber, choral and piano works predominate. His piano pieces, variation cycles, sonatas for piano and violin, two piano concertos, chamber ensembles and the cantata “Der erste Frühlingstag” (The First Day of Spring) are particularly interesting.
In terms of style, Mozart’s work reflects the spirit of the times. As a concert pianist, he favoured the brilliant style standard in musical practice during the first third of the 19th century. His works, composed with considerable artistic taste and professional skill, reflect early Romantic aesthetic ideals. The Polish, Ukrainian and Russian song motifs often woven into the musical structure characterise many of his piano works as stylised folk melodies. This reflects the composer’s deep connection with the musical tradition of the region where he lived for thirty years.
The two piano concertos rank among F. X. Mozart’s most outstanding artistic achievements.
His first piano concerto in C major, op. 14, was written in 1808 when the composer was only seventeen. Youthful ardour and enthusiasm are combined here with a good knowledge of the classical standards of composition, which Franz Xaver acquired under the guidance of his experienced teachers. This is particularly noticeable in the rendition of the orchestral part, for which the composer used the full symphony orchestra without clarinets. The concerto comprises three movements. [..]
Lyubov Kyyanovska
ANDRIY DRAGAN, PIANIST
The Swiss Ukrainian pianist Andriy Dragan, currently based in Basel, regularly performs in Switzerland and Europe. His curiosity as a pianist has enabled him to optimize his musical work with new projects and an extended repertoire, including works by Franz Xaver Mozart and Ukrainian composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, and to inspire audiences. Andriy impressively proves this with Franz Xaver Mozart’s piano concertos, which still radiate surprising musical finesse to this day, more than 200 years after their composition. One may ask why such masterpieces, particularly the Second Piano Concerto, have not “yet” entered the standard repertoire. This is probably primarily due to the “myth” of his famous father, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but probably also to the sometimes inadequate printed music material. The present concerto was revised and completed by Gunhard Mattes Verlag and Andriy Dragan himself.
Born in the Ukraine into Oksana Rapita and Myroslav Dragan’s musical family, Andriy began his pianistic path in Lviv at the age of 6 at the Music Boarding School and later continued at the National Music Academy. His talent was soon recognized and encouraged by his professor, Lidia Krych. When he was 17, Andriy enrolled at the Basel Music Academy on the recommendation of his teachers. He was accepted in Adrian Oetiker’s class, where he received encouragement and was prepared to complete his studies as a concert pianist. The numerous competition successes associated with his training, in particular the Credit Suisse Jeunes Solistes Prize in 2009, opened the doors to concert halls for Andriy. He has performed, amongst others, at the Lucerne Festival, Verbier Festival, Festival La Roque d’Anthéron, Zaubersee Festival Lucerne, Bergen Festival, Zermatt Music Festival, Kontraste and Virtuosen Festival in Lviv, as well as with the Munich Radio Orchestra, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Basel Symphony Orchestra, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Zermatt Festival Orchestra, Scharoun Ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, MDR Symphony Orchestra at the Gewandhaus Leipzig and INSO Lviv Orchestra.
Andriy Dragan’s confident, nuanced playing immerses the listener in a subtle and refined sound world. His virtuosity at the service of music characterizes the musician.
MUSIKKOLLEGIUM WINTERTHUR
The Musikkollegium Winterthur was founded in 1629 and thus boasts one of the longest-standing traditions among Europe’s musical institutions. Winterthur occupies a prominent position in Europe’s cultural landscape. This is due not only to its art collections, but also to its orchestra – the Musikkollegium Winterthur – which has been under the direction of Chief Conductor Roberto González Monjas since 2021/22. The history of the Musikkollegium Winterthur, which stretches back to 1629, is still very much alive: today, the dedication of Winterthur’s bourgeois families of the 17th century is maintained by the numerous members of the orchestra association.
The early 20th century was a particularly formative period, with patron of the arts Werner Reinhart and conductor Hermann Scherchen transforming Winterthur into a centre of European musical life. Igor Stravinsky, Richard Strauss and Anton Webern all frequented the city, as did Clara Haskil and Wilhelm Furtwängler. This is a legacy that comes with obligations: no other classical symphony orchestra in Switzerland devotes itself to contemporary music with as much natural confidence as the Musikkollegium Winterthur. World premières also feature on the programme – most recently of works by composers such as Richard Dubugnon, Helena Winkelman and David Philip Hefti.
The orchestra’s remaining repertoire focuses on the classical and early romantic periods. However, the agile ensemble also likes to shed fresh light on great symphonic works, such as those by Brahms, who is the subject of a recent CD recording. The orchestra can also be regularly experienced in opera and ballet productions. With more than 40 concerts per season, a versatile musical education programme and interdisciplinary formats, the Musikkollegium Winterthur is an outstanding ensemble. Many have contributed to the high quality of the orchestra’s performances: former chief conductors such as Franz Welser-Möst, Heinrich Schiff or Thomas Zehetmair, long-standing guest conductors such as Heinz Holliger, Reinhard Goebel and Michael Sanderling, but also internationally sought-after soloists, who always enjoy returning to the Musikkollegium Winterthur. Andreas Ottensamer, Barbara Hannigan, Sir András Schiff, Ian Bostridge and Carolin Widmann, among others, regularly give guest performances in Winterthur.
BOGDAN BOŽOVIĆ
Violinist Bogdan Božović hails from Belgrade and is a sought-after chamber musician, soloist and guest concertmaster with diverse experience in the international concert circuit. As a member of the renowned Vienna Piano Trio, he performed in major music centers worldwide between 2012 and 2015. Two CDs with piano trios by Beethoven and Saint-Saëns, which were highly praised by the specialist press, were released on the MDG label. Bogdan Božović is a welcome guest at international chamber music festivals.(2024) Franz Xaver Mozart: the two piano concertos - CD 3070
MUSICAL HOMAGE TO FRANZ XAVER MOZART
With this second recording of piano concertos - following the Variations in 2021 - I am extending my Franz Xaver Mozart project. Already at an early stage in my career as a pianist, I felt a special connection to the compositions of Franz Xaver Mozart. It was his 1st Piano Concerto that I performed during my first orchestral performance abroad at the age of 13, that took place in Switzerland, accompanied by the INSO Lviv Orchestra. His music stirred my soul and still inspires me today. After my studies, I became intensively absorbed in Franz Xavier Mozart’s work. In the process, I kept discovering new precious musical gems. His work in Galicia continues to invigorate the multicultural life of the region to this day. With the expansion of this Franz Xaver Mozart project, I hope his music will step out of his father’s shadow, the great master Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and be recognised accordingly. I am convinced that his legacy has not yet been fully explored, which motivates me to continue my research..
LEMBERGER MOZART, HIS LIFE AND HIS TWO PIANO CONCERTOS
Franz Xaver Mozart (1791-1844) was born in Vienna. He received a thorough musical education as a pianist and composer, first in Prague and then in Vienna. In 1808, he went to Galicia as a private music teacher. In 1813, he settled in Lemberg, the “capital of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria”. F. X. Mozart was very active there as a concert pianist, a teacher and an organiser of the musical life, initially promoting the legacy of his brilliant father. In Lviv, he taught the piano to Polish aristocratic families. He also maintained close contact with the Baroni von Cavalcabo family, especially with Josephine Baroni von Cavalcabo, who was appointed the executrix of his will after his death. In 1826, he founded in Lemberg the Cecilian Society for Austrian Music Lovers, which organised numerous church music concerts until 1829. In 1838, F. X. Mozart left Lemberg and moved to Vienna. He died in Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) in 1844.
As a composer, F. X Mozart produced a rich oeuvre in which chamber, choral and piano works predominate. His piano pieces, variation cycles, sonatas for piano and violin, two piano concertos, chamber ensembles and the cantata “Der erste Frühlingstag” (The First Day of Spring) are particularly interesting.
In terms of style, Mozart’s work reflects the spirit of the times. As a concert pianist, he favoured the brilliant style standard in musical practice during the first third of the 19th century. His works, composed with considerable artistic taste and professional skill, reflect early Romantic aesthetic ideals. The Polish, Ukrainian and Russian song motifs often woven into the musical structure characterise many of his piano works as stylised folk melodies. This reflects the composer’s deep connection with the musical tradition of the region where he lived for thirty years.
The two piano concertos rank among F. X. Mozart’s most outstanding artistic achievements.
His first piano concerto in C major, op. 14, was written in 1808 when the composer was only seventeen. Youthful ardour and enthusiasm are combined here with a good knowledge of the classical standards of composition, which Franz Xaver acquired under the guidance of his experienced teachers. This is particularly noticeable in the rendition of the orchestral part, for which the composer used the full symphony orchestra without clarinets. The concerto comprises three movements. [..]
Lyubov Kyyanovska
ANDRIY DRAGAN, PIANIST
The Swiss Ukrainian pianist Andriy Dragan, currently based in Basel, regularly performs in Switzerland and Europe. His curiosity as a pianist has enabled him to optimize his musical work with new projects and an extended repertoire, including works by Franz Xaver Mozart and Ukrainian composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, and to inspire audiences. Andriy impressively proves this with Franz Xaver Mozart’s piano concertos, which still radiate surprising musical finesse to this day, more than 200 years after their composition. One may ask why such masterpieces, particularly the Second Piano Concerto, have not “yet” entered the standard repertoire. This is probably primarily due to the “myth” of his famous father, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but probably also to the sometimes inadequate printed music material. The present concerto was revised and completed by Gunhard Mattes Verlag and Andriy Dragan himself.
Born in the Ukraine into Oksana Rapita and Myroslav Dragan’s musical family, Andriy began his pianistic path in Lviv at the age of 6 at the Music Boarding School and later continued at the National Music Academy. His talent was soon recognized and encouraged by his professor, Lidia Krych. When he was 17, Andriy enrolled at the Basel Music Academy on the recommendation of his teachers. He was accepted in Adrian Oetiker’s class, where he received encouragement and was prepared to complete his studies as a concert pianist. The numerous competition successes associated with his training, in particular the Credit Suisse Jeunes Solistes Prize in 2009, opened the doors to concert halls for Andriy. He has performed, amongst others, at the Lucerne Festival, Verbier Festival, Festival La Roque d’Anthéron, Zaubersee Festival Lucerne, Bergen Festival, Zermatt Music Festival, Kontraste and Virtuosen Festival in Lviv, as well as with the Munich Radio Orchestra, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Basel Symphony Orchestra, Musikkollegium Winterthur, Zermatt Festival Orchestra, Scharoun Ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, MDR Symphony Orchestra at the Gewandhaus Leipzig and INSO Lviv Orchestra.
Andriy Dragan’s confident, nuanced playing immerses the listener in a subtle and refined sound world. His virtuosity at the service of music characterizes the musician.
MUSIKKOLLEGIUM WINTERTHUR
The Musikkollegium Winterthur was founded in 1629 and thus boasts one of the longest-standing traditions among Europe’s musical institutions. Winterthur occupies a prominent position in Europe’s cultural landscape. This is due not only to its art collections, but also to its orchestra – the Musikkollegium Winterthur – which has been under the direction of Chief Conductor Roberto González Monjas since 2021/22. The history of the Musikkollegium Winterthur, which stretches back to 1629, is still very much alive: today, the dedication of Winterthur’s bourgeois families of the 17th century is maintained by the numerous members of the orchestra association.
The early 20th century was a particularly formative period, with patron of the arts Werner Reinhart and conductor Hermann Scherchen transforming Winterthur into a centre of European musical life. Igor Stravinsky, Richard Strauss and Anton Webern all frequented the city, as did Clara Haskil and Wilhelm Furtwängler. This is a legacy that comes with obligations: no other classical symphony orchestra in Switzerland devotes itself to contemporary music with as much natural confidence as the Musikkollegium Winterthur. World premières also feature on the programme – most recently of works by composers such as Richard Dubugnon, Helena Winkelman and David Philip Hefti.
The orchestra’s remaining repertoire focuses on the classical and early romantic periods. However, the agile ensemble also likes to shed fresh light on great symphonic works, such as those by Brahms, who is the subject of a recent CD recording. The orchestra can also be regularly experienced in opera and ballet productions. With more than 40 concerts per season, a versatile musical education programme and interdisciplinary formats, the Musikkollegium Winterthur is an outstanding ensemble. Many have contributed to the high quality of the orchestra’s performances: former chief conductors such as Franz Welser-Möst, Heinrich Schiff or Thomas Zehetmair, long-standing guest conductors such as Heinz Holliger, Reinhard Goebel and Michael Sanderling, but also internationally sought-after soloists, who always enjoy returning to the Musikkollegium Winterthur. Andreas Ottensamer, Barbara Hannigan, Sir András Schiff, Ian Bostridge and Carolin Widmann, among others, regularly give guest performances in Winterthur.
BOGDAN BOŽOVIĆ
Violinist Bogdan Božović hails from Belgrade and is a sought-after chamber musician, soloist and guest concertmaster with diverse experience in the international concert circuit. As a member of the renowned Vienna Piano Trio, he performed in major music centers worldwide between 2012 and 2015. Two CDs with piano trios by Beethoven and Saint-Saëns, which were highly praised by the specialist press, were released on the MDG label. Bogdan Božović is a welcome guest at international chamber music festivals.Return to the album | Read the booklet | Composer(s): Franz Xaver Mozart | Main Artist: Andriy Dragan