Reviews of Mozart’s Oboe Concerto, BBC Proms 2008

18 July 2008, Mozart oboe concerto
BBCSO/Jiri Belohlavek

a sprightly performance of Mozart’s Oboe Concerto, K314, soloist Nicholas Daniel performing his own cadenzas, the first of which had bird-song elasticity (cheekiness marked his whole approach)
musicomh.com

In between these monumental works by Strauss the ensemble dwindled to chamber-orchestra size for what was arguably the highlight of the evening. Nicholas Daniel’s risk-taking account of Mozart’s Oboe Concerto in C major, K.314 was an unadulterated treasure, bursting with exuberant charisma and optimistic allure. Invitingly accompanied by the orchestra, Daniel injected a real sense of fun into the jocular outer movements, whilst the central Adagio non troppo was marked by a recapitulation of captivating stillness, achieving an astonishing, even haunting air of intimacy – a remarkable achievement in the capacious confines of the Royal Albert Hall. … this was well-known Mozart at its utopic heights – a glorious voyage of rediscovery that had an entire concert hall enraptured and enthralled.
Musicalcriticism.com