Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble & Trevor Pinnock - Mozart: Gran Partita - The Guardian

Seriously Impressive Students Under Trevor Pinnock

Chamber music for winds doesn't get better than the mighty Gran Partita - 50 minutes of Mozart at his most sublimely tuneful and blithe. And from their glowing first chord to the extravagantly mellow colours of the variations to the deft fizz of the finale, this is seriously impressive playing from students of the Royal Academy of Music under Trevor Pinnock. The piece needs a superb first oboe and the academy has that in Thomas Blomfield, who leads with a gorgeously assured musicality. In general, the ensemble sound is elegant and refined, and technically near immaculate, so it feels churlish to complain when things are too clean.