Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Flute Quartets & Flute Concerto

Featuring

Yoshimi Oshima
Pavel Hůla
Zbyněk Paďourek
Václav Bernášek
Kocian Quartet
Praga Camerata

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Composer Biography

Mozart initially found writing for the flute burdensome, stating in a letter to his father, "I am loath to write for an instrument that I cannot stand."

Performer Biography

Yoshimi Oshima, the flautist on this recording, was considered one of the most talented young flautists in Japan by 1981 and studied in Vienna under Wolfgang Schulz, principal flutist of the Wiener Philharmoniker.

Composition History

Mozart's chamber works with solo wind instruments, including these flute quartets, were generally written to fulfill specific commissions or requests from performer friends.

Composition History

The Flute Quartets and Concerto were commissioned by Ferdinand De Jean, an amateur flautist and doctor who worked for an East India Company, whom Mozart referred to as "the Dutchman from the Indies."

Compositional Technique

The Flute Quartet K.298 is considered a parodical work, where Mozart used themes borrowed from his publisher Anton Hoffmeister, Paisiello, and even a French folksong to ridicule contemporary Viennese musical tastes.

Composition History

Mozart only partially fulfilled De Jean's commission, writing one flute concerto and three quartets instead of the expected three concertos and six quartets, leading to a deterioration in their relationship.

Performer Biography

The Kocian Quartet, whose members perform on this album, is named after the violin virtuoso Jaroslav Kocian (1883-1950) and has given over 2,500 concerts in 30 countries.