Flute-Quartet In D Adagio And Rondo, Köch. 617 / Glasharmonica-Quintet / Quartet In D Major / Quintet In E♭ Major

Released in 1982 by the Czechoslovak label Supraphon, this recording features the Ars Rediviva Ensemble performing works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Christian Bach. The album is notable for including the Adagio and Rondo for glass harmonica, flute, oboe, viola, and cello (K. 617), a piece originally composed by Mozart in 1791 for the virtuoso blind glass harmonica player Marianne Kirchgäßner. The inclusion of the glass harmonica, an instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin, highlights the ensemble's dedication to period-appropriate instrumentation and the revival of lesser-heard chamber works.

The Ars Rediviva Ensemble, founded in Prague in 1961 by flautist Milan Munclinger, was renowned for its scholarly approach to Baroque and early Classical music. By utilizing historical techniques and instrumentation, the group sought to move away from the heavy, romanticized interpretations prevalent in the mid-twentieth century. This particular release serves as a documentation of their efforts to bring clarity and period-sensitive nuance to the works of Mozart and J.C. Bach, reflecting the ensemble's broader legacy in promoting Eastern European historical performance practice.