Philippe Herreweghe - Mozart: Gran Partita (2005)

One of the surprising bonuses of the digital revolution was the release of dozens of recordings of Mozart's Gran Partita in E flat major, the largest and most beguiling of his serenades for winds. And the really surprising thing was that so many of them were superb from the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field's from 1984 through the Chamber Orchestra of Europe's from 1990 to the Orchestra of St. Luke's from 1994, and, last but not least, to this one from Philippe Herreweghe leading the Harmonie de l'Orchestre des Champs-Elysées from 1997. Herreweghe's recording had several advantages over the rest of the field. For one thing, the Harmonie de l'Orchestre -- harmonie being a late Eighteenth, early nineteenth century musical term for the wind section of an orchestra -- performs on period instruments and their deep, rich tone color is ideal for the music. For another, Herreweghe is a soulful and sensitive conductor who finds all the lyrical beauty in Mozart's melodies and countermelodies. For yet another, Herreweghe and the Harmonie's recording alone couples Mozart's Gran Partita with his slightly later wind serenade in C minor sometimes called Nacht Musique. And finally, Herreweghe and the Harmonie's performances were recorded by Harmonia Mundi, which gives them the clearest and warmest of all recording acoustics. While there are many supeb recordings of the Gran Partita in the world, this could be the one to have if you're having only one.