Mozart
's
Serenade in D major, K. 250
, was composed as background music for a wedding. Lasting upwards of 50 minutes in performance, it can be an unwieldy work that has dragged even in the hands of some very famous interpreters. This 2022 release from the
Festival Strings Lucerne
is one of the most attractive available. Its first advantage is the presence of violinist
Daniel Dodds
as both violinist and director, a configuration that would likely have been present in
's time. The whole work rests on a constant sequence of elegant little turns of phrase, and
Dodds
gives these room. Other strong points are the inclusion of the
March in D major, K. 249
, which was likely intended as a processional and recessional for the same wedding, and of a dance excerpt from
Vincenzo Righini
Gerusalemme liberata
that receives its world premiere here; it is not directly connected to the
, but it is nicely linked to it in mood. Beyond all these specifics is
' evident sense of sympathy for the
work; written in 1776, it marked the moment when the composer's lyrical gift spilled out in profusion, and this is simply a performance that has the Mozartian spirit. The sound from the KKL Luzern concert hall offers a reasonable facsimile of the
Serenade
's original spacious surroundings, and there is just nothing here that is not extremely bewitching. ~ James Manheim