ANIMA ETERNA & JOS VAN IMMERSEEL

 

Mozart

Concerto for 2 pianos KV365

Concerto for flute and harp KV299

Concerto for horn No.3

 

- Mozart has long represented an essential component in Jos van Immerseel's recording career, whether as pianist or at the head of the orchestra Anima Eterna. He has revealed outstanding conducting talents (in the last three symphonies, nos.39-41, and Symphony no.29), or in his eagerness to showcase the skills of his partners: Konzertmeister Midori Seiler in two violin concertos, Jane Gower in the Bassoon Concerto.

 

- This new 'concertante' recording presents Jos van Immerseel and Yoko Kaneko along with three soloists from the orchestra: Franck Theuns (flute), Marjan de Haer (harp), and Ulrich Hübner (horn).The distinctive qualities of Anima Eterna's approach can be heard immediately in their choice of instruments. Each soloist searches for the most appropriate instrument, either in his or her own collection or in museums around Europe. A Christopher Clarke copy of a Walter fortepiano, a flute after a Grenser original, a single-action pedal harp by Érard, and a valveless horn attributed to the Viennese maker Joseph Huschauer and loaned by the Schloss Eutin Foundation.

 

Every once in a while a disc comes along that you know you are going to treasure. It will become an old friend, an indispensable part of your collection. In a way, the pleasure is increased if the recording comes as a surprise. Among the crowds of CDs being released during Mozart year, amid the Mutters, the Rattles and other big names, it’s Jos Van Immerseel and his Anima Eterna – a group he handpicks specially for each project – who have made the greatest impression on me. There is something profoundly joyful, even sublime, about the music-making here. It is Mozart to gladden your heart and enrich your soul. If I sound gushing, the performances do not. There is nothing showy here, and although they command a dazzling palette of orchestral colours, Immerseel and Co don’t resort to attention-grabbing gestures. They just know how to play this music and sound as if they are doing so for their own pleasure. If we choose to enter their luxurious realm, and they allow us to stay, then lucky us. This is a disc that I'll be playing again and again.

Gramophone

 

Zig Zag Territoires ZZT060201