JayArgonaut said:
I came across the 2xLP vinyl gatefold album today, any interest, considering the discussions earlier in the thread about a high quality isolated score? My SL-1210 is in storage but perhaps else could take the album from me and do the honours...
This 2 disc 24 bit release sounds quite good to my ears. It's more complete than the original soundtrack release, but it still is missing some tracks from the More Music from Amadeus release.
Still no release has these recordings:
1. Salieri - Axur, Re d'Ormus: Act IV: Son queste le speranze
The opera that old Salieri plays on his piano, and then conducts when he reminisces. Only one non-Amadeus recording of this opera that I know of, and it was poorly recorded.
2. Mozart - Klavierstück in F-Dur, KV 33B
Song that Mozart plays blindfolded. You can find many recordings of this, but none match up with the film's timing.
3. Mozart - Die Entführung aus dem Serail - Aria: Martern aller Arten
You can find the opera in many recordings, but not the english variant used for the film. The other arias were included in the soundtrack, but not this recording.
4. Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro - Aria: Cinque, dieci, venti....
While this wasn't included in the soundtrack, the closest version is the 80's Solti recording, as it features Samuel Ramey who sang as Figaro on the Amadeus soundtrack.
5. Mozart - Piano Concerto no. 15: Third Movement
Can find very similar recordings just about anywhere.
6. Mozart - Die Entführung aus dem Serail- Aria: Vivat Bacchus!
Played by Mozart during the masquerade party. I don't know of any recordings of it on the harpsichord or the clavichord.
7. Mozart - Die Zauberflöte - all arias
While the soundtrack features the overture and the queen of the night, the latter is in English in the film and German on the soundtracks. Then the other arias aren't even present on any soundtrack release.
I had thoughts to do an all period instruments audio edit of the film, to be more historically accurate, but I don't think it's worth the effort. It would probably be easier to do Immortal Beloved like that, since most of Beethoven's work has been given the historically informed treatment by guys like Gardiner and Immerseel. Mozart's got good releases from Immerseel, Gardiner, and Pinnock, but there's too much dialogue during the music to pull it off, and like I said before many recordings are either near impossible to find a good replacement for, or in the case of Salieri's opera, are better left alone. I do really love Sir Neville's brilliant conducting on the pieces, so I'm fine with it all. After all, the movie isn't exactly historically accurate in the first place.
EDIT
No soundtrack has the Don Giovanni overture that plays at the intro, and when Leopold is standing outside of Mozart's door. Though you can find recordings by St. Martin in the Fields many times over.