This evening I heard an interview of violist Cynthia Phelps, who with
violinist Sheryl Staples had played Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante w/ Sir
Colin Davis conducting the NYPO over our public radio station, wherein
she said that she played her part w/ the viola tuned naturally and not
a half tone higher (scordatura) which was what Mozart had indicated.  As
I understood Ms.  Phelps, retuning the viola would provide for more open
strings to be played, thereby giving the part a more resonant sound, but it
would also require her to learn new fingering and hearing the notes sound
different from how they appeared on the score which she, unlike players of
transposing wind instruments, would find distracting.

While I'd also be interested in hearing more views as to whether or not
the work should be played w/ a retuned viola, I'm more interested about
the recordings of this work, of which I have several.  Are they as a rule
all played one way or the other or are some well known performances
recorded scordatura and others not?

Walter Meyer