Mozart: Orchestral Works [Nikolaus Harnoncourt Debut]

When Nikolaus Harnoncourt made his debut at the Mozartwoche Salzburg on January 27, 1980, the concert audience was accustomed to conductors such as Karl Böhm. At that time, beautiful tone and melody were the central themes of an interpretation. Harnoncourt, following instructions in the original scores, played with articulation, tempi, melodies, and accompanying parts in a new way and with new emphasis. Nikolaus Harnoncourt deserves credit for making historically informed performance practice acceptable in Salzburg salons. The memorable 1980 debut concert with the Concertgebouw Orchestra was the start of a long success story that reached its peak with the 2006 Mozartwoche, when Nikolaus Harnoncourt was Artist in Residence and delivered his acclaimed festive speech on January 27 on the occasion of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 250th birthday. The inaugural concert in 1980 as well as rehearsals from 2006 can be heard on this album for the first time.