Mozart Piano Concertos

[George]

... will be reissued by Sony in March, or so it seems. Though hmv.co.jp lists it as 5 CD set opposed to 2x3 CDs from French Sony last time around, so not sure if all material will be included. It's listed also on amazons and jpc.de as pre-order, but with no info whatsoever.

http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/3994123

This is very good news. I have a number of these recordings already and very much enjoy them.

[Coopmv]

I saw it a few years after Dave, in 1970, at an army theater on a base close to the DMZ in Korea. I was stationed on the DMZ. My girlfriend lived across the Imjin River. We took a taxi to the theater. (Those taxi rides, in seemingly indestructible Toyotas, speeding along bumpy dirt roads, fording rivers, playing chicken with other traffic, was more dangerous, and more thrilling than facing the North Koreans  ) I liked the film then but would probably be bored with it today even though I'm still rather infatuated with Anne Mette Michaelsen:



Although beautifully shot, with haunting music (the 21st), the film moved slowly, Mozart replacing dialogue in many scenes (one can only hear the famous theme so many times before it becomes grating).

Not knowing the historical events behind the film, the end came as quite a shock. Kil Cha and I had a debate afterwards: through tears (the film had moved her deeply) she defended their actions as the only logical conclusion to the affair. She admired their romantic courage. That kind of "romantic" gesture was simply beyond my comprehension. Still is.

Sarge

I have this CD and the VHS tape of the movie ...



IIRC, movements from Piano Concerto No. 21 were used in one of the James Bond movie as well ...

[Bogey]

Listening to this:

Concerto for Piano no 21 in C major, K 467
Performer:  Rudolf Serkin (Piano)
Conductor:  Schneider
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Written: 1785; Vienna, Austria
Mono recording, 1955

from this set:

It also has No. 25 and other goodies.  Couple it with this disc:



Add this disc:



and you have some fantastic listening, IMO.  There must be some other Serkin mono recordings of Mozart PC's that I need to track down.

[mjwal]

That performance of K.488 (I have it on LP) is indeed one of the most transcendent of all Mozart recordings, particularly in the slow movement. I wish I could play it now - but my LPs and record player are elsewhere 

[FideLeo]

Robert Levin never got to record KV 467 in his incomplete cycle with Hogwood.  This is from the broadcast recording of his live performance with OAE from a few years ago.  The andante movement.

http://www.youtube.com/v/Q4FZrsOCDDs

[Mandryka]

That performance of K.488 (I have it on LP) is indeed one of the most transcendent of all Mozart recordings, particularly in the slow movement. I wish I could play it now - but my LPs and record player are elsewhere 

Well Josef Stalin wouldn't agree. Maria Yudina's record of  K488 is the one that was found on Stalin's phonograph when he died. He had called the radio station where he heard it and asked for a copy. I will choose that one too,  if I have the chance -- fast, sensitive, rhythmic and no swooning, coherent, beautifully voiced, full of fine internal details, strong minded, unsentimental, almost brusque.

http://www.youtube.com/v/riRK7P_ynfc

Yudina  had told  off Stalin and the whole Composer's Union over their rejection of Shostakovich's Op. 87 preludes and fugues. That shows that Stalin didn;t always bear grudges 

I also like Pollini in this. And ABM. And Schnabel of course. Serkin/Schneider  rather less than you

[Todd]

Well Josef Stalin wouldn't agree. Maria Yudina's record of  K488 is the one that was found on Stalin's phonograph when he died.

This is relevant how?

[Scarpia]

Well Josef Stalin wouldn't agree. Maria Yudina's record of  K488 is the one that was found on Stalin's phonograph when he died. He had called the radio station where he heard it and asked for a copy.

Probably he called and asked for Yudina to be sent to the Gulag but they misunderstood and sent the record. 

This is relevant how?

You expect relevance? 

[Mandryka]

This is relevant how?

Ah -- well I always imagine he knew he was about to die, and thought quite understandably "what's the most beautiful performance I can command to accompany my suffling off the mortal coil . . . "

If you've heard the Yudina's  performance I'd love to know what you think of it.

[DavidRoss]

Maria Yudina's record of  K488 is the one that was found on Stalin's phonograph when he died.

Darn!  Wouldn't it be lovely if Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk were on the player?

[Todd]

Ah -- well I always imagine he knew he was about to die, and thought quite understandably "what's the most beautiful performance I can command to accompany my suffling off the mortal coil . . . "

If you've heard the Yudina's  performance I'd love to know what you think of it.

Yes, that part is not too difficult to grasp.  Why the reference to Uncle Joe is what I was after.  I'm not sure Stalin's musical taste is of any relevance.

[ccar]

If you've heard the Yudina's  performance I'd love to know what you think of it.

I am always fascinated, and delighted, to listen to Yudina. To enjoy her freedom, and courage, in taking the Mozart A major into such tempi – and the rush of the third movement is even more extreme. And yet she is able to make the music sound so articulate, so live and colorful, with an acute sense of phrasing and deep intensity. But this is not only apparent in the faster movements. In this famous recording I am always very impressed by the Adagio, where she is also unexpected - by taking a contrasting slow tempo and by modeling every phrase with a sense of hesitation, in a very softly spoken tone, that somehow conveys the music into its profound intimacy, in a beautiful mixing of despair and resignation. 

This is relevant how?

I don't know if the concluding episode of the Yudina-Stalin story is "relevant" enough. But at least it may be a small (but well deserved) homage to this wonderful and very courageous artist.   

" ... This is the eminent pianist revered in Russia as a living saint; her outstanding musicianship earned the praise of Prokofiev and Shostakovich. A champion of modern music, she introduced works by Berg, Schoenberg, Messian and Stravinsky despite strict Soviet censorship. Converting to Christianity in her teens, she remained faithful to its precepts to the end of her life, ignoring the dangers this involved.

Her encounter with Stalin deserves telling in full. He had requested a record of a Mozart concerto he had heard her play on the radio. This did not exist but a recording was manufactured overnight and given to Stalin. Yudina later received an envelope with a large amount of money from Kremlin. Her reply to him, the greatest dictator on earth, was as follows:   "I thank you for your aid. Twill pray for you day and night and ask the Lord to forgive your great sins before the people and the country...I gave the money to the church I attend." ... "     in a letter from Mr. N S Jenkins - Gramophone

[Mandryka]

I . . .

There was a discussion somewhere here about expression and speed. I was thinking at the time mostly of Yudina -- that concerto, her K310 and her extraordinary Tempest Sonata.

Have just been listening Pollini in this -- wonderful! There are some really magical moments in the first two movements. And so humane.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Well, it happened again. As I related a couple pages ago my local classical station has an infatuation with Mozart's PCs. No bad thing of course. The upside of this is it affords me ample opportunity to assess various performances sans biases since often I'm tuning in mid-performance and the performers are unknown.

This time it was the first movement of PC no. 27. Blind, I listened intently and after a minute or two took a liking to the performance. The pianist had a very big tone but kept tabs on it so as not to drown out the musical undercurrents. Good thing as Mozart without the all-important subtleties is parched stuff.

The orchestra never sounded bloated or harassing and slid into its role as musical protagonist with aplomb. This afforded the pianist plenty of space to maneuver with musical ideas seemingly bouncing all over the place, all of course within the comfy confines of Mozartian symmetry.

The movement ended but I hadn't the time to finish out the entire performance. But not forgetting the experience I later looked up the performers. I was surprised by their identities as I hadn't encountered them before in these or similar works: De Larrocha/Davis. Definitely worth exploring in the future.

[mc ukrneal]

The movement ended but I hadn't the time to finish out the entire performance. But not forgetting the experience I later looked up the performers. I was surprised by their identities as I hadn't encountered them before in these or similar works: De Larrocha/Davis. Definitely worth exploring in the future.

She is very recommendable in Mozart and there are several discs. I've grown to love her interpretations so another endorsement here.

[dirkronk]

The movement ended but I hadn't the time to finish out the entire performance. But not forgetting the experience I later looked up the performers. I was surprised by their identities as I hadn't encountered them before in these or similar works: De Larrocha/Davis. Definitely worth exploring in the future.

Colin Davis isn't always my cup of tea. However, early in his career, he put out some wonderful recordings of Rossini, Verdi and Mozart short pieces that came to the US on the budget Angel line, Seraphim (these preceded his Berlioz recordings for Philips). These LPs I still prize. His Mozart was light, fleet, full of humor and articulate phrasing, a real delight. Honestly, I haven't heard him much in this repertoire in the past couple of decades, though last week I did acquire a sorta newish Mozart overtures CD with him conducting Dresden, I think (haven't played the disc yet). So it doesn't surprise me that he shows his stuff when accompanying Ms. De Larrocha (whose Mozart too could be off-and-on, but utterly wonderful when "on").

Dirk

[Dancing Divertimentian]

She is very recommendable in Mozart and there are several discs. I've grown to love her interpretations so another endorsement here.

Thanks, urkneal. That's good to know. I'll keep my eye out for some bargains.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Colin Davis isn't always my cup of tea. However, early in his career, he put out some wonderful recordings of Rossini, Verdi and Mozart short pieces that came to the US on the budget Angel line, Seraphim (these preceded his Berlioz recordings for Philips). These LPs I still prize. His Mozart was light, fleet, full of humor and articulate phrasing, a real delight. Honestly, I haven't heard him much in this repertoire in the past couple of decades, though last week I did acquire a sorta newish Mozart overtures CD with him conducting Dresden, I think (haven't played the disc yet). So it doesn't surprise me that he shows his stuff when accompanying Ms. De Larrocha (whose Mozart too could be off-and-on, but utterly wonderful when "on").

Dirk

My reactions to both Davis and De Larrocha throughout the years have been similar. But one thing I've learned about Davis is he is capable of having "on" days in the studio that just floor me. Principally his Berlioz.

De Larrocha hasn't been on my radar for years now and until this Mozart PC encounter I've given her zero attention. Things are looking up for her now however on the strength of this performance.

[Mandryka]

You can sense sometimes that Colin Davis really believes in the music he's playing -- that's maybe what you mean by on days. The Berlioz -- Trojans and Benvenuto Cellini, certainly. But also Grimes. And there are things which are not on Cd which "floored" me - a Tristan  years ago at Covent Garden for instance.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

You can sense sometimes that Colin Davis really believes in the music he's playing -- that's maybe what you mean by on days. The Berlioz -- Trojans and Benvenuto Cellini, certainly. But also Grimes. And there are things which are not on Cd which "floored" me - a Tristan  years ago at Covent Garden for instance.

Yes, agreed. I hadn't thought about his Britten. Should check it out.

And speaking of Davis in Wagner, I have his recording of Lohengrin on RCA. Been years since I heard it. A fresh listen is in order to see if the "floor me" factor is in effect!