Getting The Most Out of Mozart, The Instrumental Works by David Hurwitz Amadeus Press, Pompton Plains New Jersey, 2005, ISBN 1-57467-096-4 Here is a well-written, approachable book in the series Unlocking the Masters, containing a full length CD of selected movements from Mozart's instrumental works along with a concert aria, to illustrate his characteristic long, singing line. Mr. Hurwitz encourages us to first trust the music. He discusses sonata form, color, instrumentation and other high level musical matters, in a way that is friendly to the first-time listener. There is a Mozart rhythm: dum dum da dum. It gives you something to look for/feel for that will keep you in the musical experience. The form enhances the musical flow. Just wallow in it. That is the kind of experience we want from music, no matter how clever or learned we are. Professionals will delight in his clarity, his grasp the essential and his ability to articulate the pleasure of listening. He does not shy from the technical and formal and at the same time leads the reader to value his instincts and feel it in the bones. Many a teacher will find inspiration in his writing. He endearingly compares Mozart's writing in the minor key to the feel of Tom Lehrer's Irish Ballad, and describes his humor as a cat and mouse game with a poker face. The far out quality of the string quartets marks them as more intellectual, while the quintets are more primal. The historic context of the music explains how it was composed, what purpose it fulfilled, who played it and how it was heard. A great deal of music was festive in nature, and meant to be taken lightly. For instance, symphonies in Mozart's day were the openers and closers to concerts that generally lasted two hours, and had as their centerpiece a concerto or a featured singer in arias. It is in these last two categories of music where the long line and singing tone that we identify as Mozart blossoms most fully. Mozart played many of his virtuosic piano concertos and conducted from the keyboard. In other concertos he makes great demands on the soloists, and contributes a body of work of great beauty, that enlarges the concerto form, and as Hurwitz says, gives us some of the greatest concertos ever written. Those of you who are building a record collection can enjoy the BMG selections and take this book with you to the store. You can get an idea of the difference between modern digital recordings by respected musicians, with vintage recordings such as the Heifitz RCA Gold Seal recording. Happy is the concertgoer who finds a note by David Hurwitz in the program. It will enhance your enjoyment and participation in the experience. Buy this book. Your music library will thank you. RP 4/26 NOTE: A complete XL file of Mozart's orchestral work is available from info@vocalimages.com, along with the original list of music used by Dr. Tomatis in his listening program, in the Tomatis section. Back to Top