Mozart piano sonatas

[Mandryka]

Hi Mandryka - listening to Endres & Pienaar yesterday and still enjoy - now Giovanni De Cecco I do not know so today setup a Spotify playlist shown below of the 5 recordings offered - on a clavichord - listening now and usually a fan of the instrument (if a good reconstruction and recorded well, often a problem in my experience) - Cecco's instrument sounds quite good most of the time but can be 'muffled' in the lower registries - cannot find any reviews or descriptions of the clavichord(s) used - looking forward to the recordings of Robert Levin.  Thanks.  Dave

This one

https://www.giovannidececco.com/saxon-1770-potvlieghe-2018/

Siegbert Rampe's Mozart is now on Spotify I think so that's another one well trying.

By the way, you can also find the two Pires there - they are interestingly different.

There's also Christian Blackshaw to think about, it's sweet, maybe too sweet.

[Mandryka]

I don't hear any problem with the bass in the Cecco, sonic man. On the contrary, the bass is a revelation! I think these recordings stand to Mozart as Beghin stands to Haydn - in fact, sometimes I hear in his Mozart a style that I associate with the later Haydn sonatas (sturm und drang maybe, I don't know]

That being said, I have no idea how informed by scholarship Cecco is.

Listen to the bass at 7.20 ish here, and then in the first movement of 457

https://open.spotify.com/track/05812IRmzLgwBuztCHhTgy

[Que]

TTT After 2 Years!  Just reviewed this thread back to about 2015 and surprised that I had not posted - been collecting and culling these works for decades - now own the first 4 sets shown below, split evenly between PIs and MIs - pleased w/ these performances (and the reviewers seem to like Endres & Pienaar on MIs - attached w/ one BBC 'stinker' for Pienaar) - BUT seems like many here like Pires on Denon (licensed to Brilliant) - for those knowing these performances does she take a 'different approach' as implied in one of the reviews?

Also, there appears to be a new release for us PI aficionados, last pic below w/ Robert Levin on Mozart's own fortepiano (assume restored?) - more info HERE - Amazon US release date is mid-next month priced at $32 - any comments?  Dave

Well, I never get tired of pushing Bart van Oort - on period instruments and it's on Spotify:

[Mandryka]

Well, I never get tired of pushing Bart van Oort - on period instruments and it's on Spotify:

Piano's crap for this music. Not enough colour. Too homogeneous. Maybe old pianos are better, but not better enough. That's why I think clavichord, played loud if you want (why not?) is the way to go. Like CPE B. They're not classical like Boccherini - they're empfindsamer!

[SonicMan46]

This one

https://www.giovannidececco.com/saxon-1770-potvlieghe-2018/

Siegbert Rampe's Mozart is now on Spotify I think so that's another one well trying.

By the way, you can also find the two Pires there - they are interestingly different.

There's also Christian Blackshaw to think about, it's sweet, maybe too sweet.

I don't hear any problem with the bass in the Cecco, sonic man. On the contrary, the bass is a revelation! I think these recordings stand to Mozart as Beghin stands to Haydn - in fact, sometimes I hear in his Mozart a style that I associate with the later Haydn sonatas (sturm und drang maybe, I don't know]

That being said, I have no idea how informed by scholarship Cecco is.

Listen to the bass at 7.20 ish here, and then in the first movement of 457

https://open.spotify.com/track/05812IRmzLgwBuztCHhTgy

Boy, I've been collecting and culling these works for over 30 years - don't want to start over!    But, I did listen to more of Cecco on clavichord including the link above this morning on my bedroom Sonos speakers - enjoyed much more and did not notice the 'muffling' described before - however, not sure that I'd pull these out (or go to Spotify) for a listen over my other keyboard sets?  Dave

[SonicMan46]

Well, I never get tired of pushing Bart van Oort - on period instruments and it's on Spotify:

Piano's crap for this music. Not enough colour. Too homogeneous. Maybe old pianos are better, but not better enough. That's why I think clavichord, played loud if you want (why not?) is the way to go. Like CPE B. They're not classical like Boccherini - they're empfindsamer!

Que - at the moment I'm listening to several discs each from my fortepiano sets (i.e. Brautigam & Bezuid.....) and do like, but will take a listen to Bart van Oort (who I do own in other recordings) - also I'll be curious about the Robert Levin set to be released.  Dave

[Mandryka]

I'm not suggesting you buy any of them -- why buy when you can stream? Just listen, enjoy or not, move on.  Like a concert.

[SonicMan46]

I'm not suggesting you buy any of them -- why buy when you can stream? Just listen, enjoy or not, move on.  Like a concert.

+1 - streaming has been a godsend and has saved money, space, and an additional classical collection 'in the cloud' for me (and others I assume) -    Thanks again for all of your help and suggestions.  Dave

[Que]

Piano's crap for this music. Not enough colour. Too homogeneous. Maybe old pianos are better, but not better enough. That's why I think clavichord, played loud if you want (why not?) is the way to go. Like CPE B. They're not classical like Boccherini - they're empfindsamer!

I think we are on different pages here... 

The fortepianos after Walter are wel suited for Mozart IMO, it's almost standard. An instrument Mozart owned and very much liked. And as far as I'm aware - I haven't heard a clavichord ever live - there is no way you can play it loudly. The instrument just doesn't produce much volume. But... you can record it very closely and then play the recording very loudly. 

[Mandryka]

. But... you can record it very closely and then play the recording very loudly. 

And that's what I suggest you do!

[Irons]

I think we are on different pages here... 

The fortepianos after Walter are wel suited for Mozart IMO, it's almost standard. An instrument Mozart owned and very much liked. And as far as I'm aware - I haven't heard a clavichord ever live - there is no way you can play it loudly. The instrument just doesn't produce much volume. But... you can record it very closely and then play the recording very loudly. 

Maybe not so simple. Thurston Dart wrote at length on this with his recording of clavichord music by Froberger.

One last point: the clavichord is an extremely soft instrument, softer even then guitar or lute, and its sound is not at all easy to re-create faithfully on record, not least because the microphones have to be very close to the player's hands and can therefore pick up the percussion of finger on key. The music will sound most like a clavichord if the volume control is set fairly low, with no cutting of top frequencies.

[Spotted Horses]

First listen to a Mozart Piano Sonata in ages, No 18 in D, KV576, Zacharias (EMI/Warner)

I really enjoyed the brisk counterpoint of the opening Allegro. The combination of the dry engineering and Zacharias' crisp articulation make it sound somewhat fortepiano-ish.

[Jo498]

I just got the complete sonatas with Zacharias/EMI. I had had one "best of" disc of them for ages but could not be bothered to get the rest.
But I have not had decent cycle in good sound for years (only Gould and Gulda) because around a move years ago I got rid of Badura-Skoda (around 1980 on a modern instrument) and Endres (probably shouldn't have). I didn't dislike either but neither really won me over completely (I am not a huge fan of the works, admittedly). Now about half through Zacharias it is very good but the Endres might have been as good, I cannot compare anymore.

[George]

The Robert Levin set on ECM (haven't heard it) just got 10/10 from Jed Distler on Classics Today.

[Que]

The Robert Levin set on ECM (haven't heard it) just got 10/10 from Jed Distler on Classics Today.

Well, I have more faith in Jed Distler's taste than any of the other reviewers...  0:)

[Mandryka]

Well, I have more faith in Jed Distler's taste than any of the other reviewers...  0:)

K 330 is on Spotify. Warning: quirky rubato alert. Colourful piano well recorded.

[Que]

K 330 is on Spotify. Warning: quirky rubato alert. Colourful piano well recorded.

That "piano" is Mozart's own fortepiano by Anton Walter, 1782. 

[SonicMan46]

That "piano" is Mozart's own fortepiano by Anton Walter, 1782. 

For anyone - just curious if this FP has been restored and played before?  Will await more reviews of Levin's performances - already have two quite good period sets, so don't want to replace but hate to find more storage -      Dave

[Mandryka]

For anyone - just curious if this FP has been restored and played before?  Will await more reviews of Levin's performances - already have two quite good period sets, so don't want to replace but hate to find more storage -      Dave

No other recording with the piano has ever been commercially released as far as I know.

[Biffo]

For anyone - just curious if this FP has been restored and played before?  Will await more reviews of Levin's performances - already have two quite good period sets, so don't want to replace but hate to find more storage -      Dave

Mozart's Walter piano was restored by Wilhelm Ruck of Nuremberg in 1936/37. No idea if there is any subsequent restoration (as of 1979).

I have the Badura-Skoda set on LP played on modern pianos but it also contains a bonus disc of K 331, K570 and K 356 played on Mozart's Walter piano in his birth house in Salzburg.

I am sure we have discussed this before and that the CD release of the sonatas doesn't have all the material from the bonus LP.