becoming

Since 2001 release of the Complete Mozart Edition under the Philips label, no one thought another edition will make available in distant future. Surpisingly, Brilliant Classics dare to take up the task and produce another Complete Mozart Edition! And unlike the Philips’ edition, most of the pieces under the same musical category are recorded by the same group of musicians, hence interpretation are more consistent and stable.

Another good thing about this edition is the price! Arkiv is selling the whole thing for $250US for 170 CDs! That’s less than $1.5/CD! But of course, there is a catch: the featured performers are relatively less well-known than those top-guns you know of. But as far as I can tell, most of them are rising stars from the Europe Classical scene. Take for example the CCE and Nicol Matt, I think their Complete Scared Music is just as good as (if not better) than any major choir/orchestra I have heard of. Yes, their strings can never match the freshness of ASMF, but their choir is well-balanced and the words are crystal clear compare to many muddled and echo-y recordings from the well-known choir/orchestra (one complain I do have is that the soprano uses too much vibatro consider the period which the music is written).

So for those of you working in Downtown Toronto, go to HMV or Sam and listen to them. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised by them!