Eine kleine Nachtmusik starts the disc off, and you immediately sense that Andrew Manze has something new to say. There is plenty of attack and drive, but never to the point of becoming affected. The rich sonority from the period instruments is well captured by the sound engineering and is even more pronounced if your equipment allows you to enjoy the high resolution SACD layer.
The powerful, driving Adagio and Fugue in C minor is given an intense and relentless performance. This is enhanced by the prominence of the base strings in the recording mix, which adds to the impression of strength.
While this performance is not quite "punk Mozart" it does provide a very unpretentious, fresh and vital approach the music that will keep you coming back for more.
