Here's another one of those Dover "budget"releases. This one features the Kehr Trio in Mozart's wonderful Divertimento K.563.
The Kehr Trio is led by violinist-conductor Gunter Kehr. Many of you probably know Kehr by his many recordings with the Mainz Chamber Orchestra, most released by Vox during the 50's through 70's. Kehr's Mainz recordings appeared during the evolution of performance practice from "big band" chamber orchestra to the "period" instrument fashion of the present. His last recording in Mainz, a very fine, but in your face, set of Brandenburgs, released by Vox during the 80's, was with period instruments. It has since disappeared though an earlier, but less satisfying take on them is still around.
Divertimento K. 563 is a beautiful piece of writing, wonderfully constructed and architecturally perfect. My favorite performance features Heifetz, Feuermann and Rubinstein...incomparable musicians, all strongwilled for sure but properly deferential to Mozart who was their superior in every way...and those fellas knew it! Kehr and his colleagues are a different kind of ensemble, maybe more participatory and less egotistical, but musically satisfying all the same. It is interesting to hear Kehr after experiencing Heifetz and his cohorts though.
The recording here was released in the early 60's and the sound is ok but by no means "hi-fi."
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