Mozart piano sonatas

[prémont]

I also like his Mozart - very good indeed but not as the Haydn. Brautigam's Mozart feels at times a bit too "forced/pushed", somewhat lacking in Mozartian "wittyness". I expect the Mozart set will be superstaged by Bezuidenhout's ongoing cycle.

Q

And I do not like Brautigam´s Mozart set. Mozarts textures are too thin to stand Brautigam´s often aggressive approach. And his set has since long been surpassed by sets from Badura-Skoda, van Oort, Lubimov and Bilson. I do not know about Brautigam´s Haydn set. Owning Schornsheim´s set and the Brilliant collective set is enough Haydn for me.

[Mandryka]

 

Thank you both.  My selection of both is rather limited--beyond some scattered individual pieces,  I've only got Hamelin's four CD set for Haydn, and Lili Kraus's set of the Mozart sonatas.

That is very limited, especially if it's Kraus's second set, which is not as good as the first.  I suggest you try some polar opposites and not necessarily in complete surveys. Maybe Ranki for Haydn and Anthony Newman for Mozart.

It's interesting to see mention of van Oort's Mozart -- I didn't know it existed and I like what I have heard of this pianist (in Chopin, for example). I'll follow that up.

I wonder  premont whether you have heard Bezuidenhout's agressive Sturm and Drang CD? The problem for me is play the music energetically, without being agressive -- I'm not convinced myself  that Bezuidenhout succeeds as well as Newman in this.

[kishnevi]

That is very limited, especially if it's Kraus's second set, which is not as good as the first.  I suggest you try some polar opposites and not necessarily in complete surveys. Maybe Ranki for Haydn and Anthony Newman for Mozart.

It's interesting to see mention of van Oort's Mozart -- I didn't know it existed and I like what I have heard of this pianist (in Chopin, for example). I'll follow that up.

I wonder  premont whether you have heard Bezuidenhout's agressive Sturm and Drang CD? The problem for me is play the music energetically, without being agressive -- I'm not convinced myself  that Bezuidenhout succeeds as well as Newman in this.

This is the Kraus:


The recording dates are given as 1967-68.  I'm guessing that's the second cycle?

As for van Oort:

Since I'm now ordering it in another tab on this browser from the only Amazon Marketplace vendor not listed in the UK,  perhaps this post now rightfully belongs in the "Purchases Today" thread

[Antoine Marchand]

I wonder  premont whether you have heard Bezuidenhout's agressive Sturm and Drang CD? The problem for me is play the music energetically, without being agressive -- I'm not convinced myself  that Bezuidenhout succeeds as well as Newman in this.

I don't have the second volume by Bezuidenhout (the Sturm und Drang CD) and I am not obviously Premont, but I totally enjoyed the first volume performed by this young fortepianist which I consider dark and virile like very few times Mozart is presented in the discography (I vividly recall another example: the wonderful violin sonatas performed by Uchida/Steinberg). Aggressive, IMO, is Brautigam who doesn't respect the breathing of this music.

[Mandryka]

This is the Kraus:


The recording dates are given as 1967-68.  I'm guessing that's the second cycle?

Yes that's the first Kraus. Not to mince words -- it's not very good. The early one is free of copyright now and is downloadable on musique ouverte and is, IMO, one of the great landmarks of Mozart interpretation. Download it forthwith if you can and enjoy. There's some even earlier recordings of a handful of sonatas  which are even better.

[Antoine Marchand]

I don't have the second volume by Bezuidenhout (the Sturm und Drang CD) and I am not obviously Premont, but I totally enjoyed the first volume performed by this young fortepianist which I consider dark and virile like very few times Mozart is presented in the discography (I vividly recall another example: the wonderful violin sonatas performed by Uchida/Steinberg). Aggressive, IMO, is Brautigam who doesn't respect the breathing of this music.

I did some quick research on Internet and the Sturm und Drang disc isn't the second disc of the Mozart keyboard music recently released on HM. It's really an older recording released on Fleur de Son Classics (2001) under this cover:



If I trust in my ears Bezuidenhout's style has changed favorably over the years what was evident to me when I listened to his old interpretation of the first movement of the sonata N°9: 

http://www.youtube.com/v/DV8RY75t888

I think it's useful to compare with Lubimov (I uploaded this sample several years ago):

http://www.youtube.com/v/7sZbxBprEFY

(IMO the only rival for Lubimov in this sonata is Brendel's Vox recording)

Anyway, this is currently Bezuidenhout:

http://www.harmoniamundi.com/#/albums?view=playlists&id=1594



P.S.: Just now I am aware that the first You Tube video was uploaded by Masolino, so all is among GMGers. 

[Mandryka]

I  . . .

Let's see if I've got this right. The Sturm und Drang Cd with the red cover (which I have, and which I'm not totally enamoured by) is NOT representative of Bezuidenhout's current style, and the more recent Mozart sonata recordings are . . . better. Right. Well if that's what you're saying I'm tempted to explore them a bit -- I've heard some wonderful mozart from him (a PC 24 with Brueggen in Paris last year)

By the way I like Lubimov's 310 too. And Richter's

[prémont]

(IMO the only rival for Lubimov in this sonata is Brendel's Vox recording)

If this existed I would be very interested, but I have never heard about it. Do you think of Walter Klien?

BTW my favorite in this sonata is van Oort, who in my opinion captures the Sturm und Drang of this music very convincing without being rushed or aggresive.

[prémont]

I wonder  premont whether you have heard Bezuidenhout's agressive Sturm and Drang CD? The problem for me is play the music energetically, without being agressive -- I'm not convinced myself  that Bezuidenhout succeeds as well as Newman in this.

No, I have not heard Bezuidenhout´s Mozart recordings, but they are on my wish-list - like so much else - prompted by a recommendation from Antoine earlier this year. But if I am going to collect them, they have to be exceptional, because Mozart´s piano sonatas are almost too well represented on my shelves.

[jlaurson]

No, I have not heard Bezuidenhout´s Mozart recordings, but they are on my wish-list - like so much else - prompted by a recommendation from Antoine earlier this year. But if I am going to collect them, they have to be exceptional, because Mozart´s piano sonatas are almost too well represented on my shelves.

They are pretty darn exceptional: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/03/dip-your-ears-no-107.html

[Antoine Marchand]

Let's see if I've got this right. The Sturm und Drang Cd with the red cover (which I have, and which I'm not totally enamoured by) is NOT representative of Bezuidenhout's current style, and the more recent Mozart sonata recordings are . . . better. Right. Well if that's what you're saying I'm tempted to explore them a bit -- I've heard some wonderful mozart from him (a PC 24 with Brueggen in Paris last year)

Yes, that's the idea. And this is the volume that I have:

[asin]B003064CYQ[/asin]

[Antoine Marchand]

If this existed I would be very interested, but I have never heard about it. Do you think of Walter Klien?

No, Brendel. It's the CD5 of this box set (rec. 1968, Vienna):



This box includes six Mozart discs, principally piano concertos and just one piano sonata: the piano sonata in A minor K310, coupled with the variations in D major on a minuet by Duport K573.

[Antoine Marchand]

No, Brendel. It's the CD5 of this box set (rec. 1968, Vienna):



This box includes six Mozart discs, principally piano concertos and just one piano sonata: the piano sonata in A minor K310, coupled with the variations in D major on a minuet by Duport K573.

http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=15060933-365

[Antoine Marchand]

Yes, that's the idea. And this is the volume that I have:

[asin]B003064CYQ[/asin]

Fantasia in C minor K475

http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=15061162-6fe

[Mandryka]

Fantasia in C minor K475

http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=15061162-6fe

So you're saying that that's NOT the same as the K475 on the red CD? I can't tell right now because the red CD isn't here with me in London.

Actually I quite  like the K475 on the red CD, and the 310 even more so. I enjoyed 457 and 397 a bit less.

[prémont]

No, Brendel. It's the CD5 of this box set (rec. 1968, Vienna):

This box includes six Mozart discs, principally piano concertos and just one piano sonata: the piano sonata in A minor K310, coupled with the variations in D major on a minuet by Duport K573.

What the deuce! I own that box.   

But I have not listened to much of it yet.

Well, I think that the sonata did not come to my attention because I did not know its existence beforehand (a Vanguard recording, and Vanguard has never been well represented in my country), and because the Brilliant booklet does not offer any survey of the contents of the box. And maybe a hint of senior moment(s).

[prémont]

They are pretty darn exceptional: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2011/03/dip-your-ears-no-107.html

Thanks, I  have ordered the Sturm and Drang CD to day.

[Antoine Marchand]

So you're saying that that's NOT the same as the K475 on the red CD? I can't tell right now because the red CD isn't here with me in London.

Actually I quite  like the K475 on the red CD, and the 310 even more so. I enjoyed 457 and 397 a bit less.

Oh, well, I understood that you had disliked the Sturm und Drang CD. It was recorded in 2000, when Bezuindenhout was 21 years old. The new recording on HM was recorded in 2009. Anyway, I repeat: I don't have the Sturm und Drang disc and I have just listened to some movements available on YouTube (the piano sonata K310), but on that basis I wouldn't recommend it as the first choice.

[Antoine Marchand]

What the deuce! I own that box.   

But I have not listened to much of it yet.

Well, I think that the sonata did not come to my attention because I did not know its existence beforehand (a Vanguard recording, and Vanguard has never been well represented in my country), and because the Brilliant booklet does not offer any survey of the contents of the box. And maybe a hint of senior moment(s).

No problem. We know you're human too. 

BTW, maybe you could also consider this aspect in your explanation: you have too many discs. 

[George]

Yes that's the first Kraus. Not to mince words -- it's not very good. The early one is free of copyright now and is downloadable on musique ouverte and is, IMO, one of the great landmarks of Mozart interpretation. Download it forthwith if you can and enjoy. There's some even earlier recordings of a handful of sonatas  which are even better.

It's not the first Kraus, it's the later stereo recording on SONY.

The early (Mono) one is on Music and Arts and I don't hear a lot of difference between them. Can you provide some examples?