Filmed mainly in Vienna's splendid "Musikvereinssaal," the Mozart
symphonies conducted by Karl Böhm are all interpreted by one of the
world's foremost orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, whose
principal conductors have included Wilhelm Furtwängler, Bruno Walter,
Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and, of course, Karl Böhm. "Thanks to
Bruno Walter's exemplary performances, particularly of Mozart's works, I
grabbed on to Mozart and fell in love with him so much that I had only one
wish: to conduct Mozart, Mozart, Mozart." (Karl Böhm)
Like the "Little" G-minor Symphony, K. 200 is also one of the early
"Salzburg" symphonies. Its originality places it on a par with the G-minor
work. The onward-rushing, sharply profiled theme prefigured an evolution
which led to a more individual characterization of the melodies and to a
more thorough exploitation of their combinative possibilities. While the
muted strings and "sigh" motifs of the Andante point to techniques Mozart
was to perfect in later works, the final sprightly Presto recalls the
structure of the opening movement, thus rounding off the work in an
admirable fashion.
Karl Böhm was universally acclaimed for his Mozart interpretations. Though
Wagner was one of Böhm's first loves, his friendship with Richard Strauss
led to a deep knowledge and appreciation of Mozart. In his autobiography,
Böhm wrote that "Richard Strauss revealed to me the ultimate secrets of
this, in my opinion, greatest of all musical geniuses, Mozart." Böhm's
discovery of these secrets transformed his Mozart interpretations into
unforgettable events.
The DVD is also released within the complete "Mozart / Böhm" DVD package which is available in selected stores worldwide and through Amazon or JPC.