Two small gems, Duets for violin & viola KV 423 and 424, and a renowned masterpiece, Divertimento KV 563, are presented in this recording. The Duetti are particularly precious
for the quality of the writing and because it is rare to find pieces written by Mozart for two instruments (in fact, if we discount the twelve duets for basset-horn, opera 411, a few transcriptions from Bach, and of course, the Sonatas for keyboard and instrument, there are no such others among Mozart's works). Contrary to common practice of the time, in these two pieces, both instruments bear equal weight and the result is a dialogue between near equals, with the viola being just as important as the violin. As far as the Divertimento is concerned, much has been written: Mila's comment sums it up best when he wrote: a smile from angels, purified of all earthly misery.
The exceptional performers from the well-known Quartetto della Scala di Milano executed this recording on antique instruments: a Gennaro Gagliano viola made in 1800 and a Giovanbattista Guadagnini violin made in 1773.

Iconography: Gianluca Corona -Still waiting, 2008 -oil on canvas

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