These are the qualities W. A. Mozart discerned in the compositions of a man known to the world as Il Boemo (the Bohemian).
In his music, Josef Mysliveček (1737-1781) was able to channel this fire and spirit into musical forms of exquisite beauty.
In his life, alas, those same fires seemed to burn in less salutary ways. Rumor has it that dissolution led to disease, and the maestro’s nose was lost to a botched medical intervention.
Despite young Wolfgang’s enthusiasm for his work, Mysliveček had to break ties with the Mozart family after allegedly defrauding Leopold in a business transaction.
Listening to this recent recording of our fiery friend’s oboe quintets and string quartets, I’d like to think there was a Jekyll to his Hyde, which we are hearing in these pieces.
God willing, this was the side of Mysliveček foremost when it counted most, in the eighty-first year of the eighteenth century.
These oboe concertos are recorded here for the first time. In fact, the Doležal Quartet had to recover the oboe parts from “private collections across Europe” in order to bring this to our ears.
All that for only ten dollars, at Prestomusic.com.
Enjoy!
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