East Neuk Festival: Mozart Serenades

St Adrian's, Cellardyke 3/7/26

The English Concert Winds

St Adrian’s in Cellardyke (formerly – and still according to the plaque outside the main entrance – St Ayle’s; a.k.a. Cellardyke Church on Google Maps and satnavs) was the multi-monikered forenoon venue on 3rd July for an all-Mozart programme of period instrument Harmoniemusik from The English Concert Winds, composed of two each of oboes, clarinets, bassoons and horns. All 8 are players from The English Concert, an orchestral ensemble founded in 1973 under the direction of Trevor Pinnock to present baroque and classical music with the instruments and playing techniques for which it was written. As I have had to miss, for the first time in 4 years, this summer’s concert by the SCO Wind Soloists, I was particularly pleased to catch this East Neuk Festival programme. BBC Radio 3’s microphones were there to capture the concert for broadcast after the Proms season finishes in mid-September. Apart from the black bassoons, the reeds were all pale wood, while the valveless horns gleamed. Before a note was played, the ensemble was a feast for the eyes.

The concert opened with the Overture to ‘Don Giovanni’ in an arrangement for Harmonie by Joseph Triebensee. The dark introduction, which leaves us in no doubt that the Don is an evil man deserving of a rude comeuppance, lacked the melodrama of the orchestral version, but the rather jolly picaresque romp that follows (and teases us about our guilty admiration for the rogue) was delightful. The arrangement was of the original theatre version, intended to segue directly into Act I, so it lacked the big finish of the concert version. Still, a delightful concert opener.

The first of the two serenades we heard (K388) was the later composed (1783-ish and mostly unfamiliar to me), 4 movements like a symphony, and scored (nominally) in C minor for all 8 instruments, its introduction matching that of the overture we had just heard in gravitas. Without change of pulse (Allegro), the seemingly slow call to attention led to the brisk first theme, followed by a second in the major. The ensemble sound was very pleasing, whilst the tuning was flawless. The music, a fully worked sonata form, featured a satisfyingly complex and symphonic development section. There was some virtuosic stuff, for the horns in particular, in the recapitulation. The bassoon lines were rather more agile than the typical viola and cello lines in an early Mozart symphonic score. The Andante started with clarinets and bassoons, not slow, in 3 in the sunny major with quite an operatic vibe. There was a gorgeous interlude for the two horns. Real divertimento music but without a trace of frippery. The minuet, a canon in the minor, was fabulously dramatic; its trio, still satisfyingly contrapuntal but not canonic, was delicious. The finale, a theme and variations, was the longest movement, the theme very familiar, having me wondering whether it was a bit of Mozart recycling. The ingenious variations, many featuring a dominant solo instrument, were characterfully realised. The final variation, a brisk tutti in the major, rounded off the fun. A super piece.

First hornist Ursula Paludan Monberg spoke about the era of popularity of the Harmonie wind band in late 18th and early 19th century German-speaking lands, an essential accessory and status symbol for aristocratic entertaining, the volume of sound ideal for both outdoor functions and noisy indoor ones. She spoke also about their instruments, faithful modern copies of the original instruments of the period. Finally, she read from a letter Mozart wrote to his father about the success of the other Serenade we were about to hear.

Next up, the Overture to ‘The Marriage of Figaro’, in an arrangement for Harmonie by Johann Nepomuk Wendt. The oboes tackled the virtuosically agile violin lines of the original with aplomb, with only a handful of the trickier ornamentations edited by the arranger. Not an ounce of the mischief of the original was lost. Always delightful, it was pacey and thrilling.

The Serenade in E-flat (K375) was originally written in 1781 for a St Theresa’s day celebration and scored for 6-player Harmonie, sans oboes. Mozart subsequently revised the score, adding oboes, not merely as an afterthought, but with an extensive reworking. That said, the first clarinet part still plays a leading role in the 8-player version, which we heard. By contrast with K388, I know it very well. The genial first movement is an unhurried Allegro maestoso, unfolding a pleasing sonata form, the first theme sighing with contentment, the second more plaintive and longing. The first of the two minuets starts with a fanfare and is a cheery affair. Its trio, in a rather tongue-in-cheek minor, has horns moping Eeyore-like, and the others interrupting to respond in the manner of Job’s comforters, with not an ounce of solace. The Adagio is an idyllic arioso serenade. Clarinet and horn are the main carriers of melody, but all get a chance to sing. The well-ornamented reprise has some lovely lyrical arpeggiation for horn and a singing oboe solo. Absolutely gorgeous. The second minuet, brisk and conversational with cheeky departures from the key, has a sense of mischief. Its slower trio is simpler, if not quite innocent. The finale, a playful rondo, bowls along with gleeful fun, its episodes virtuosic and energetic, with fast phrases thrown between the instruments, and a witty coda. An absolute delight, bringing the concert to a close.

Link: https://eastneukfestival.com/events/mozart-serenades/