A NICELY PHRASED PERFORMANCE
Mozart did entertain the idea of setting music from The Abduction for wind band. He wrote Papa Leopold on July 20, 1782 that " .. .I am up to my eyes in work for I have to arrange my opera for wind instruments .. .If l don't, someone else will anticipate me and gain the profits." Since no transcription of this work exists in the Kochel listings, I can only assume that Herr Wendt, the transcriber of record and probably the "someone else" of Mozart's letter (Wendt is credited with transcribing no fewer than five Mozart operas), had indeed anticipated Mozart and had indeed gained the profits.
Johann Nepomuk Wendt was an English horn and oboe virtuoso attached to the emperor's court in Vienna at the time Mozart was producing his operas for the court theater. Wendt also was responsible for directing the emperor's wind band and supplying it with music. He was an industrious fellow with over 40 opera and ballet transcriptions to his credit, and, as the high quality of his transcription clearly shows, he was also an exemplary craftsman. Of the other transcriber, Herr Heidenreich, I know little except that he was a quick worker: his lovely arrangement of The Magic Flute was being advertised within four months of that opera's premiere, and within one month of its composer's death.
The Amadeus Ensemble turns in fleet, beautifully intoned, and nicely phrased performances of both scores. Mr. Rudel obviously knows his way around this music in its original versions and conducts with verve and style. My only gripe is that both these suites are so brief. With music this delicious one is always left wanting more.