Mozart: Complete Flute Quartets

In Mozart's time, roughly between 1750 and 1800, the traverse flute underwent some important changes. By the addition of a number of keys and a reconstruction of the body, the head and the keyholes the tone and power of the sound were increased substantially, thus gaining the status of a serious solo instrument.

Mozart seemed to have had a certain aversion to the instrument. When writing the flute quartets he complained: "I soon got tired of writing for the same instrument (which I cannot bear)". He wrote the flute quartets for the Dutch flutist De Jean, with whom he had a business dispute, and therefore disliked him very much. The quartets however show no trace of chagrin: they are delightful works, sparkling, melodious and vintage Mozart, they firmly hold their place in the standard concert repertoire.

This new recording features the excellent ensemble Solisti della Scala, an Italian elite group. They also play the beautiful Oboe Quartet K370 in the version for flute and strings.