Mozart Piano Concertos

Started by Mark, September 08, 2007, 03:01:39 PM

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Dancing Divertimentian

Quote from: DavidRoss on September 13, 2009, 07:51:40 AM
FWIW:  Ever since Donwyn (our Dancing Divertimentarian) persuaded me to try Schiff/Vegh it has been my reference set.

That was the first rec of mine to be taken up by someone on this board. Glad it's given you your money's worth, Dave!

QuoteWhy my two cents?  Mostly to throw the neglected Buchbinder into the mix.  Maybe if he looked like Grimaud instead of like your plumber he'd get more notice.

8)
Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

DarkAngel

Quote from: DarkAngel on September 13, 2009, 05:51:19 AM
Very impressed with that sample and agree that it is similar in overall style to Andeas Staier........and for me much better than Bilson or Immerseel. Has very good sound with proper scale between forte piano and orchestra, and Viviana has a more dramatic playing style compared to Immerseel which I prefer.

I did more research on Viviana Sofronitzki complete set on forte piano and I just love what I hear, I purchased complete set from
Arkiv which has better price than Amazon at $86 for 11 CD set, this will be my reference forte piano set no doubt!
Thanks to Lampsang for alerting me to this fine set as I was completely unaware of it before


DavidRoss

Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on September 13, 2009, 08:48:53 AM
That was the first rec of mine to be taken up by someone on this board. Glad it's given you your money's worth, Dave!

8)
And then some, Don.  IIRC, this was only the first of several recommendations by you that has pleased me greatly.  Blomstedt/SFS Brahms's German Requiem comes quickly to mind, for instance.  In fact, I cannot recall any significant disagreement with you in matters of taste (save for my puzzlement over your fondness for Ashkenazy's Sibelius, which rubs me the wrong way although many others share your favorable opinion!  8) ). 
"Maybe the problem most of you have ... is that you're not listening to Barbirolli." ~Sarge

"The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money." ~Margaret Thatcher

Dancing Divertimentian

Quote from: DavidRoss on September 15, 2009, 09:25:57 AM
...(save for my puzzlement over your fondness for Ashkenazy's Sibelius, which rubs me the wrong way although many others share your favorable opinion!  8) ). 

I'm trying not to like it but so far it hasn't worked out. ;D
Veit Bach-a baker who found his greatest pleasure in a little cittern which he took with him even into the mill and played while the grinding was going on. In this way he had a chance to have the rhythm drilled into him. And this was the beginning of a musical inclination in his descendants. JS Bach

DarkAngel

#164
Quote from: DarkAngel on September 14, 2009, 05:02:59 PM
I did more research on Viviana Sofronitzki complete set on forte piano and I just love what I hear, I purchased complete set from
Arkiv which has better price than Amazon at $86 for 11 CD set, this will be my reference forte piano set no doubt!
Thanks to Lampsang for alerting me to this fine set as I was completely unaware of it before


I recieved my set, version sold by ArKiv uses cardboard sleeves for Cds (not jewel cases) so outer box is not that big.
This is the best forte piano complete set available, avoids the weakness of Bilson & Immerseel mentioned in above posts, has great modern sound overall and very important has proper balance in scale between forte piano and orchestra. Sofronitzki is more dramatic and overtly expressive compared to Immerseel which suites my taste, but I am still not 100% satisfied after hearing forte piano concertos by Staier & Brautingam, there is still a small window open for even greater improvement........it may never happen however so for now this is the reference complete forte piano set for Mozart


LapsangS

DarkAngel, It's nice to hear that you enjoy the set as much as I do :)

DarkAngel

#166
Quote from: LapsangS on September 17, 2009, 11:42:01 PM
DarkAngel, It's nice to hear that you enjoy the set as much as I do :)

I previously owned Mozart forte piano concertos only as a curiosity from Bilson, Tan, Lubin, Levin and always found them lacking overall
The recent Immerseel concerto set closed the gap for me opened my mind more to merits of forte piano.
Individual concerto Cds by Staier and Brautingam completely opened the door for me, I was now a forte piano advocate and enjoyed them very much........if only a complete set could ever emerge from these two

This brings us to the new Sofronitzki concerto set which raises the bar even higher and will convince many skeptics that forte piano concertos can reach reference status with Mozart, can often make modern piano versions sound out of place.

Immerseel and Brautingam have fabulous Mozart sonata sets on forte piano, Immerseel here is more animated and dramatic compared to the concertos for some strange reason......

 


ccar

#168

I believe the fact of beeing portuguese is not a bias in my appreciation: Maria João Pires is one of the most naturally inspired Mozartian interpreters. The Erato box set compilation - B0014BO79O - of her old Mozart concerto recordings is a (still available) bargain.

Carlos

DarkAngel

Chamber versions of early Piano Concertos........

Look what I just found, early Mozart concertos performed basically as piano quintets.
Wonderful idea that is a refreshing take on things, very cheap on EMI Gemini series, offers great insights




Mandryka

#170
Quote from: DarkAngel on September 14, 2009, 05:02:59 PM




It arrived the other day and I just played PC 22 and the variations movement of 24 and the Rondo K382 (CD6).

I thought 22 was fantastic -- joyful. Not as emotionally rich as Landowska or Brendel with Mackerras perhaps. But great fun nevertheless.

And 24 (which is my favourite concerto) had some really attention grabbing things -- unexpected accelerandos, for example -- which I really liked. Gould is more astonishing; Brendel with Mackerras more tragic, maybe. But this was once again great fun.

And it's so good to have such a well played HIP version -- I am used to modern instruments and the HIP orchestras always make me smile with pleasure.

I didn't enjoy the Rondo K382 really. Compare it with Edwin Fischer's two recorded versions. Fischer finds a sort of reflective serenity in it. With Sofronitski this short piece rapidly outstayed its welcome.

Despite my reservations about that K382, I am very pleased to have this set -- so thanks for putting me on to it.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mozart

Anyone have these disks?

"I am the musical tree, eat of my fruit and your spirit shall rejoiceth!"
- Amadeus 6:26

DarkAngel

#172
I have the Pletnev/Virgin concertos..........
very extrovert style with maximum dramatic contrast, makes an interesting contrast to a relaxed style like Perahia for instance

Cheaper to buy budget priced 4CD Virgin box that includes Haydn concertos also


Mozart

I gave it a shot, and I agree with you. I like the tension and drama.

http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/FeB4L1__RKs&feature=response_watch


Haydn piano concertos...I heard them once, thankfully there are only 3? I was pretty bored. Sorry Mr. Haydn!
"I am the musical tree, eat of my fruit and your spirit shall rejoiceth!"
- Amadeus 6:26

Bulldog

Quote from: Mozart on October 02, 2009, 07:20:25 PM

Haydn piano concertos...I heard them once, thankfully there are only 3? I was pretty bored. Sorry Mr. Haydn!

There are at least 5 Haydn keyboard concertos.

Mozart

Quote from: Bulldog on October 02, 2009, 07:53:27 PM
There are at least 5 Haydn keyboard concertos.
In that case I am thankful for only having heard 3! I remember specifically one in D that was really really boring
"I am the musical tree, eat of my fruit and your spirit shall rejoiceth!"
- Amadeus 6:26

DarkAngel

#176
Quote from: Mozart on October 02, 2009, 08:11:45 PM
In that case I am thankful for only having heard 3! I remember specifically one in D that was really really boring

I think you will like the way Pletnev handles Haydn PC in the Virgin boxset (4cds for price of 1), I thought they were very enjoyable.
Another great rendition of Haydn piano concertos using forte piano is Brautigam/BIS

Strong feature of Pletnev's Mozart PCs are the bold and exciting cadenza work, sounds like a virtuoso pianist improvising
on the spot, I really like these and play them quite often.

Even more dramatic in style (if you can imagine that) is Marhta Argerich, she only has a very limited number of recordings but I have not heard any more aggressive or dramatic presentions than this:




SonicMan46

Quote from: Mozart on October 02, 2009, 07:20:25 PM
Haydn piano concertos...I heard them once, thankfully there are only 3? I was pretty bored. Sorry Mr. Haydn!

Mozart - now be realistic!  ;) ;D  Do you really think that Papa Haydn would write only 3 Piano Concertos?  ::)

Check out the 4-CD pacakge below which I've been 'eyeing' for a while - Amazon lists 21 Piano Concertos - and who knows that may not be all of them (would need to check his thematic catalog).

Plus, I'm not sure 'who' you heard playing the Haydn PCs, but checkout Ronald Brautigam's performances - if you don't like him in this repertoire, then I can believe your statement above -  :D

 

Herman

I listened to Brendel Marriner's 482 and 491 today, and I have mixed feelings about this.

In the 482 middle mvt it is most apparent there's a big soloist - conductor mismatch. Brendel is desperately giving dramatic sforzandi on his part, but the orchestra is just plain bland in comparison. There are several problems with the virtually contemporaneous Uchida - Tate recording but their 482 is much more dramataic, probably because Tate is no stranger to Mozart operas.

Mandryka

Quote from: Herman on November 12, 2009, 08:21:59 AM
I listened to Brendel Marriner's 482 and 491 today, and I have mixed feelings about this.

In the 482 middle mvt it is most apparent there's a big soloist - conductor mismatch. Brendel is desperately giving dramatic sforzandi on his part, but the orchestra is just plain bland in comparison. There are several problems with the virtually contemporaneous Uchida - Tate recording but their 482 is much more dramataic, probably because Tate is no stranger to Mozart operas.

What did you think of the K491?

The 22 with Mackerras is great fun, I thought.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen