This unusual sequence works splendidly as a programme, beginning with the dazzling brilliance of KV 365, in which Immerseel is both director and soloist, partnered by Yoko Kaneko, moving on to the seductive sounds of flute and harp, and then finishing with the bravura of the horn.

As usual, the instruments employed are lucidly described in the booklet notes; the "wonderfully silvery tone" of the Erard single-action harp is particularly evident in the hands of Marjan de Haer, and it is rare that one feels that the two solo instruments are participating on a truly equal footing, as here.

It is interesting to compare it with the recent recording by the Freiburger Barockorchester under Gottfried von der Goltz (with Mara Galassi and Susanne Kaiser as soloists), which, beautiful as it is, is characterized by a harder, more forward sound, so that there seems to be less of an organic relationship between soloists and orchestra.

But this recording is no mere exercise in archaeology: not only is there a real corporate feel for Mozartian articulation, but a genuine joy in the music, a rhythmic bounce and a delicacy of phrasing that make the performances come alive. Outstanding.
IVAN MOODY.

Konzert KV 365; KV 299; KV 447

W.A. MOZART
Jos van Immerseel
Anima Eterna
Zig-Zag ZZT060201
2005 - 66:55 min.