Mozart: Overtures Die Kölner Akademie & Michael Alexander Willens

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Ascanio in Alba, KV 111:
• 1Mozart: Ascanio in Alba, KV 11103:19
• Idomeneo, re di Creta, KV 366:
• 2Mozart: Idomeneo, re di Creta, KV 36604:46
• Le nozze di Figaro, KV 492:
• 3Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro, KV 49204:31
• Die Entführung aus dem Serail, KV 384:
• 4Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail, KV 38405:33
• Così fan tutte, KV 588:
• 5Mozart: Così fan tutte, KV 58804:25
• Der Schauspieldirektor, KV 486:
• 6Mozart: Der Schauspieldirektor, KV 48604:26
• Mitridate, re di Ponto, KV 87:
• 7Mozart: Mitridate, re di Ponto, KV 8705:20
• La finta giardiniera, KV 196:
• 8Mozart: La finta giardiniera, KV 19604:38
• Don Giovanni, KV 527:
• 9Mozart: Don Giovanni, KV 52706:04
• Lucio Silla, KV 135:
• 10Mozart: Lucio Silla, KV 13507:19
• La Clemenza de Tito, KV 621:
• 11Mozart: La Clemenza de Tito, KV 62104:39
• Die Zauberflöte, KV 620:
• 12Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, KV 62006:58
• Total Runtime01:01:58

Info for Mozart: Overtures

From the mid-seventeenth century onwards, the overture became an orchestral piece intended to precede a large-scale dramatic work. This recording brings together twelve overtures from Mozart’s operas. They foreshadow the action, sometimes stylistically, sometimes by quoting themes that will appear later, to create a dramatic impression before we even see anything on stage – think of the memorable overtures to Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflöte. The twelve overtures brought together here cover 21 years of Mozart’s career: from Mitridate, composed when he was just 14, which testifies to the young composer’s familiarity with the galant style then in vogue, to La Clemenza di Tito (1791), the high point of his work in the opera seria genre that was to disappear with him, not forgetting masterpieces such as Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte. The Kölner Akademie, playing on period instruments, and its conductor Michael Alexander Willens demonstrate Mozart’s unrivalled ability to capture the audience’s attention with these brilliant overtures, some of which are among his most famous works, both on stage and in concert.

Kölner Akademie
Michael Alexander Willens, conductor

The Kölner Akademie
is a unique ensemble based in Cologne. It is distinguished by its performances of music from the 17th–21st centuries, featuring renowned guest soloists. Music is played on modern as well as historical instruments.

The Kölner Akademie has received the highest accolades for its performances at world-renowned festivals in Germany, Austria, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Iceland and South America. Many of these performances were broadcast live or recorded for television.

The orchestra’s first CD release, a recording of Johann Valentin Meder’s St. Matthew Passion for Raumklang was awarded five stars by Fono Forum and Musik und Kirche magazines, and received excellent reviews in Concerto, EARLY MUSIC (United Kingdom) and Record Geijutsu (Japan).

The ensemble’s “Forgotten Treasures” CD series, which has received high praise from the press, so far includes ten recordings in what is planned to be a series of fifteen world premiere recordings of works by lesser-known composers, including Crusell, Danzi, Pichl, Vanhal, Wilms, Romberg, Neukomm, Fischer, Kunc, Jeanjean, D’Alvimare, and Steibelt.

The CD of Bernhard Romberg’s symphonies received the Supersonic Prize. Furthermore, Die Kölner Akademie has released first recordings of works by Mattheson, Ries, Kalliwoda, Neukomm and Eberl on CPO, as well as a first recording of the version of J.S. Bach’s St. Mark Passion reconstructed by Glöckner and Hellmann.

Michael Alexander Willens
music director of Die Kölner Akademie, studied conducting with John Nelson at the Juilliard School in New York, where he received B.M. and M.M. degrees. He has also studied with Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood, as well as choral conducting with Paul Vorwerk. Willens’ broad experience has given him an unusual depth of background and familiarity with performance practice styles ranging from baroque, classical and romantic through to contemporary as well as jazz and pop music.

Mr. Willens has conducted concerts at major concert halls and festivals in Europe, South America, Asia, Iceland, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Israel and the United States, receiving the highest critical praise:

“The success of the whole owed in large measure to the uncommonly precise, yet never affected gestures of Michael Alexander Willens”.

In addition to the standard repertoire, Michael Alexander Willens is dedicated to performing works by lesser-known contemporary American composers and has conducted several world premières, many of which have been broadcast live or filmed for television. He is also keenly interested in re-discovering music from the past and has released over 40 CDs featuring this repertoire. Several of these recordings have been nominated and received awards. They have all received outstanding international reviews, : “Willens achieves an impeccably stylish and enjoyable performance.” (Gramophone ) ,,…conductor Michael Alexander Willens exploits every bar of the score to fullest expressive effect. (Fanfare)

He has guest conducted orchestras in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Brazil and Israel in addition to his commitment to Die Kölner Akademie.

Booklet for Mozart: Overtures