Mozart: Serenades Mozarteumorchester Salzburg & Roberto González-Monjas

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Serenata notturna, K. 239:
• 1Mozart: Serenata notturna, K. 239: I. Marcia. Maestoso04:08
• 2Mozart: Serenata notturna, K. 239: II. Menuetto03:37
• 3Mozart: Serenata notturna, K. 239: III. Rondeau. Allegretto04:47
• March in D Major, K.237/189C:
• 4Mozart: March in D Major, K.237/189C04:08
• Serenata Colloredo, K. 203/189b:
• 5Mozart: Serenata Colloredo, K. 203/189b: I. Andante Maestoso. Allegro Assai05:52
• 6Mozart: Serenata Colloredo, K. 203/189b: II. (Andante)05:23
• 7Mozart: Serenata Colloredo, K. 203/189b: III. Menuetto02:52
• 8Mozart: Serenata Colloredo, K. 203/189b: IV. (Allegro)04:35
• 9Mozart: Serenata Colloredo, K. 203/189b: V. Menuetto03:30
• 10Mozart: Serenata Colloredo, K. 203/189b: VI. (Andante)05:21
• 11Mozart: Serenata Colloredo, K. 203/189b: VII. Menuetto04:23
• 12Mozart: Serenata Colloredo, K. 203/189b: VIII. Prestissimo04:48
• Total Runtime53:24

Info for Mozart: Serenades

The Mozarteumorchester Salzburg looks back on a history of more than 180 years. It was founded in 1841 with the involvement of Constanze Mozart. Today it enjoys a worldwide reputation for its lively and purposeful Mozart interpretations. Its permanent guest conductors include Constantinos Carydis, Andrew Manze, and the Spanish conductor and violinist Roberto González-Monjas. They all contribute to the orchestra's ability to constantly regroup and align itself for the repertoire at hand. Of course, the constant preoccupation with the classical period is part of the formative element, but in the meantime the orchestra is also appreciated for interpretations of the music of the 19th/20th and 21st centuries. Together with the Berlin Classics label, the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg will embark on an exciting journey starting in August 2023. With six album releases planned through 2025, the orchestra will be able to show its full range and passion for playing.

The very first release is already a highlight and shows how close the orchestra's connection is to its hometown of Salzburg. August 11 marks the release of the first album in the series, featuring Serenades No. 6 and No. 4 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, conducted by Roberto González-Monjas. Serenades, or open-air summer night musics, have been popular in Salzburg since the early 18th century. It was great fun and pure entertainment for everyone involved. Mozart wrote his first serenade at the age of 13 and immediately made himself an indispensable part of Salzburg's summer activities.

The recording does not begin with summer music, however, but with Serenade No. 6, which most likely accompanied the autumn carnival celebrations in the prince-archbishop's residence palace. Even though it is light music, it is by no means easy to play. Mozart has two string ensembles compete against each other and involves them in a musical dialogue. At the time, the first string ensemble consisted of professionals, the other of amateur musicians. Already here the whole genius of Mozart is expressed and is realized in the same way by the Mozarteumorchester.

Mozart wrote Serenade No. 4 for the summer graduation ceremony of the Benedictine University. It is the so-called final music. At that time, the orchestra had to march while playing from the Bishop's Palace across the city bridge to the University Square. Mozart let his ingenious wit and charm flow into the music here as well.

The Mozarteumorchester Salzburg and conductor Roberto González-Monjas let all the joy of playing and reverence for Mozart's music flow into the recording here. In both works, the conductor also reaches for the leading violin and lets other orchestra members shine as soloists with Sophia Herbig on violin, Milan Radić on viola, Brita Burgschwendtner on double bass and Michael Mitterlehner-Romm on timpani.

With this album series, the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, through inspired interpretations, demonstrates stylistic excellence in the diversity of the classical repertoire, while remaining true to its principle of maintaining a deep connection between the music and the city of Salzburg. The world may be its guest.

Mozarteumorchester Salzburg
Roberto González-Monjas, conductor

Roberto González-Monjas
Highly sought-after as a conductor and violinist, Roberto González-Monjas is rapidly making a mark on the international scene. A natural musical leader with strong vision and clarity, he possesses a unique mixture of remarkable personal charisma, an abundance of energy, enthusiasm and fierce intelligence. Most recently Roberto was appointed designate Music Director of the Galician Symphony Orchestra in Spain, starting in September 2023. This appointment recognises Roberto’s long-standing relationship with Spain’s foremost orchestra and strengthens their collaboration, as well as his strong commitment for their educational programmes. Roberto is also Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of Dalasinfoniettan in Sweden (since the 2019/20 season); Chief Conductor of Musikkollegium Winterthur in Switzerland (since the 2021/22 season); Principal Guest Conductor of the Belgian National Orchestra (since the 2022/23 season); and Artistic Director of Iberacademy in Colombia.

Highlights of the current season in Winterthur, which kicks off a three-year programmatic triptych inspired on by Mozart’s last three symphonies, include concerts with András Schiff, Joyce DiDonato, Yeol Eum Son and Lisa Batiashvili, as well as performances of Haydn’s Creation, the world premiere of Andrea Tarrodi’s “Fragments of Enligtenment” and the European premiere of Caroline Shaw’s new Harpsichord Concerto. Roberto will also embark on a 12-concert tour of the United Kingdom and Belgium together with the Belgian National Orchestra and soloist Paul Lewis.

Recent guest conducting and play-direct debuts which led to immediate re-invitations and significant future debuts include collaborations with Mozarteumorchester Salzburg and Camerata Salzburg, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orchestre National d'Île-de-France, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Lahti Symphony, Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Orchestre Nationale Capitole Toulouse and Music in PyeongChang, among many others.

Roberto began his career as a solo violinist, orchestral leader and chamber musician, appearing as such in the Salzburg, Grafenegg, Lucerne, Verbier and Lockenhaus Festivals. He frequently collaborates with singers and instrumentalists including Ian Bostridge, Yuja Wang, Rolando Villazón, Hilary Hahn, Andreas Ottensamer, Alexander Lonquich, Lisa Batiashvili, Fazil Say, Reinhard Goebel, Thomas Quasthoff, András Schiff and Kit Armstrong.

Passionate and dedicated to education and nurturing new generations of talented musicians, Roberto co-founded Iberacademy (Ibero-American Orchestral Academy) together with conductor Alejandro Posada. This institution aims at creating an efficient and sustainable model of musical education in Latin America, focusing on vulnerable segments of the population and supporting highly talented young musicians. While based in Medellín (Colombia), it also operates in Bolivia, Perú, Chile and Cuba, providing its students with life-changing opportunities. In the same line of work, Roberto embarked most recently on a European tour with the Sinfonía por el Perú orchestra and star tenor Juan Diego Flórez, with concerts at the Salzburg, Lucerne and Gstaad summer Festivals. Roberto also serves as a violin professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and regularly mentors and conducts the Guildhall School Chamber and Symphony Orchestras at the Barbican Hall in London.

With an impressively eclectic and wide-ranging repertoire, some of Roberto’s signature projects include recording Mozart Serenades with the Mozarteumorchester in Salzburg, playing Esa Pekka Salonen’s violin concerto with the Orchestre Nationale D’Île de France, bringing together the Musikkollegium Winterthur, Iberacademy and 80 young dancers for several performances of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”, premiering Richard Dubugnon’s “Colorfields” Violin Concerto and presenting a new staged production of Mozart’s Requiem with stage director Stéphane Braunschweig at the Bordeaux Opera, to name a few.. Roberto’s variety of styles and interests is also displayed in his latest CD recordings for Claves Records, featuring works by Mozart, Schoeck, Stravinsky, CPE Bach and Saint-Saens with the Musikkollegium Winterthur. A frequent collaborator of Berlin Baroque Soloists, Roberto contributed as a soloist to their Sony Classical release of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti conducted by Reinhard Goebel.

Roberto served as concertmaster of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia for six years and as the leader of the Musikkollegium Winterthur until summer 2021. He plays a 1710 Giuseppe Guarnieri ‘filius Andreae’ violin kindly loaned to him by five Winterthur families and the Rychenberg Stiftung.

This album contains no booklet.