Mozart Colloredo Serenade & Divertimento - SCO & Alexander Janiczek - The Times (Knowledge)

Under Janiczek's precise direction, the stiff, proud arpeggios at the start of Mozart's Colloredo Serenade nicely match the awkward gait of the Salzburg philosophy students for whose graduation day we now know the piece was written in 1774. In the agitated gaiety that follows, the strings excitedly light on their bows, suggesting a convivial hubbub. The serenade is a concerto wrapped in a symphony, and for three movements Janiczek's solo violin is as searchingly direct and eloquent as a philosopher's train of thought. The andante is magical, even if some underlying effects suffer a little from overpoliteness. This is Mozart full of subtlety and finesse.