Extended Edition of Flute Concertos

An international gathering of musicians create a triumphant recording.

Composer: Mozart
Repertoire: Flute Concertos Nos 1 & 2; Flute and Harp Concerto
Artists: Sharon Bezaly (flute), Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra/Juha Kangas
Rating: 4/5

Genre: Orchestral
Label: BIS BIS-CD-1539

This recording was originally issued to great acclaim on BIS Records in 2005 but without the Flute and Harp Concerto (1778). Having added it and extended its running time by a third, this disc is now Mozart’s ‘complete works for flute and orchestra’. The recording is distinctive not only for Israeli-born Sharon Bezaly’s sinuous, singing tone but also for the contemporary cadenzas by the Finnish composer Kalevi Aho, which flash into keys Mozart would not have visited but would have enjoyed nonetheless. In the Flute and Harp Concerto, French harpist Julie Pallo treads a happy line between authentic folksiness and romantic stuffiness, while conductor Juha Kangas brings out the finest details from the accompanying Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra.