In 1953, Nikolaus Harnoncourt founded the Concentus Musicus with colleagues from Karajan's Vienna Symphony Orchestra. His "ancient music" ensemble never pursued a revolution: "Musicology and historical instruments are not an end in themselves", says Harnoncourt, "I prefer an interpretation that is historically uninformed but musically alive." After decades playing and recording Baroque works on historical instruments, he extended his repertoire to Classic, Romantic and 20th-Century music, conducting Europe's top "modern" orchestras. "Mozart was no innovator, but his personal style has an unfathomable grandeur. Whoever plays his music with a modern orchestra must absolutely explore the original sound characteristics." This box set highlights both Harnoncourt's recordings with the Concentus' ancient instrumentarium, and his new approach with Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, always historically informed, groundbreaking, brimming with emotion.
