Mozart

[vers la flamme]

Was the Prokofieff coupling the original LP issue?!?!

I believe so. I want to say this was back in 1959, could have been a couple years later though. One of his first LPs to be released in the west.

[Jo498]

I wonder if the first issue of the Mozart could have been a 10 inch EP disc with only the Mozart piece. The Prokofieff would be an odd coupling, in any case. There is a bunch of Mono Schumann that seems the earliest Richter on DGG. Then we have that Mozart d minor, the Beethoven c minor, Schumann, Prokofieff 5 and Rach 2.

[vers la flamme]

I wonder if the first issue of the Mozart could have been a 10 inch EP disc with only the Mozart piece. The Prokofieff would be an odd coupling, in any case. There is a bunch of Mono Schumann that seems the earliest Richter on DGG. Then we have that Mozart d minor, the Beethoven c minor, Schumann, Prokofieff 5 and Rach 2.

https://www.discogs.com/Wolfgang-Amadeus-Mozart-Serge-Prokofieff-Svjatoslav-Richter-Klavierkonzert-D-moll-KV-466-Klavierkonz/release/11310799

I believe this is the original issue from 1959. Mozart 20 and Prokofiev 5.

I have it as part of a box set from DG called Pianist of the Century. It contains all of those recordings you mentioned; the mono Schumann is disc 1, and then there's the Rachmaninov, Beethoven, etc. The discs are in sleeves with the original jacket artwork. It's an excellent box set. I'd recommend it to any new Richter fan.

[Irons]

I wonder if the first issue of the Mozart could have been a 10 inch EP disc with only the Mozart piece. The Prokofieff would be an odd coupling, in any case. There is a bunch of Mono Schumann that seems the earliest Richter on DGG. Then we have that Mozart d minor, the Beethoven c minor, Schumann, Prokofieff 5 and Rach 2.

Richter travelled to Warsaw in 1958 and for the State Polish label, Polskie Nigrania recorded the PC's of Mozart, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Schumann. These were issued under licence in the West by DG. I agree an odd coupling, Oistrakh made a recording coupling Mozart and Prokofiev concertos and when asked why he said including Mozart results in higher sales.

[calyptorhynchus]

Just asked this over at the Haydn's House, but I think it applies to Mozart too: I think it's time to tackle the piano sonatas. Which is the best PI cycle (playing and sound of the fortepiano)?

[vers la flamme]

Just asked this over at the Haydn's House, but I think it applies to Mozart too: I think it's time to tackle the piano sonatas. Which is the best PI cycle (playing and sound of the fortepiano)?

The one that has been recommended to me over and over is Bart van Oort, on Brilliant:



From what I've heard it sounds great, and it's cheap. I'm probably going to get it at some point, but I've just started working my way through (and greatly enjoying) the Christoph Eschenbach set, so I'll hold off on getting another for now.

[JBS]

The one that has been recommended to me over and over is Bart van Oort, on Brilliant:



From what I've heard it sounds great, and it's cheap. I'm probably going to get it at some point, but I've just started working my way through (and greatly enjoying) the Christoph Eschenbach set, so I'll hold off on getting another for now.

That's probably a decisive winner in the Mozart stakes.
Van Oort did all of Mozart's keyboard works, a set that has managed to go out of print twice (to go by Amazon prices)

I have it, in the green version. Try looking for a reasonably priced copy before pulling the trigger on the sonatas-only set.

[Mandryka]

Just asked this over at the Haydn's House, but I think it applies to Mozart too: I think it's time to tackle the piano sonatas. Which is the best PI cycle (playing and sound of the fortepiano)?

Siegbert Rampe, Alexei Lubimov.


For me, it's important to find performances on instruments which are full of asperities, and performers who relish that.

[Mookalafalas]

That's probably a decisive winner in the Mozart stakes.
Van Oort did all of Mozart's keyboard works, a set that has managed to go out of print twice (to go by Amazon prices)
I have it, in the green version. Try looking for a reasonably priced copy before pulling the trigger on the sonatas-only set.

  The green version? Not sure what you are referring to. Do you mean the BIG Brilliant WAM box (2014, 170CD).

[amw]

Siegbert Rampe, Alexei Lubimov.


For me, it's important to find performances on instruments which are full of asperities, and performers who relish that.

I've never heard the Siegbert Rampe set but have always been curious.

I think my favorites on fortepiano were from Paul Badura-Skoda and Jos van Immerseel, neither one being complete though. Kristian Bezuidenhout is also very good, on a modern reconstruction of an 18th century instrument, though only available as individual volumes.

[Gurn Blanston]

I've never heard the Siegbert Rampe set but have always been curious.

I think my favorites on fortepiano were from Paul Badura-Skoda and Jos van Immerseel, neither one being complete though. Kristian Bezuidenhout is also very good, on a modern reconstruction of an 18th century instrument, though only available as individual volumes.

Hard to know what is what with PB-S, his career was so long he did things a few times over. But I have a 6 disk box set on Naive:


which is all the sonatas plus some other pieces, like the fantasias. It is MY favorite as well.

I also have this Lubimov set of 6 in a box set:


and am quite taken with it.

The Rampe that you mentioned is 12 disks (I got them used, 1 at a time since they were MD&G premium disks). I am still thinking about them. He went to great lengths to use some wonderful instruments to play them, but then, he confuses me in his intention by doing strange things, like playing some of the 1764 London Sketchbook pieces on a 1795 fortepiano, and then playing some of the late works on clavichord or harpsichord. There might be some bit of history of which I am unaware which would allow him to justify that, but it seems bizarre somehow. But anyway, the playing is very good, can't fault it, and of course, the MD&G recording is excellent as always.

[Gurn Blanston]

That's probably a decisive winner in the Mozart stakes.
Van Oort did all of Mozart's keyboard works, a set that has managed to go out of print twice (to go by Amazon prices)

I had this box in my basket at BRO 2 YEARS AGO, and when I pulled the trigger on it, it was out of stock, so I just left it there. About 4 months ago (November), I got an email that it was back in stock. I checked it out, still in my basket, for $13!!!    Needless to say, I didn't waste any time pulling the trigger on it! 

[JBS]

  The green version? Not sure what you are referring to. Do you mean the BIG Brilliant WAM box (2014, 170CD).

This version

Is it showing for you?  I notice the image seems to be more blue than green, but my copy is green.
However, I'd be surprised if the contents of the set were not in the 170 CD box, so the answer to your question is both no and yes.

[vers la flamme]

This version

Is it showing for you?  I notice the image seems to be more blue than green, but my copy is green.
However, I'd be surprised if the contents of the set were not in the 170 CD box, so the answer to your question is both no and yes.

My initial thought when you wrote that was, "which one of us is colorblind"?  But this image of the back cover of that set:



... leads me to believe that likely the image you shared, in deep blue, is probably just not accurate to what the box actually looks like.

[Gurn Blanston]

The best sounding fortepiano can't hold a candle to an average sounding modern piano. 

(Run for cover as fast as I can).

Guess that depends who is listening to it. And what the music is. I prefer a Steinway D or a Bösendorfer for Rachmaninov, if that makes you feel better. For Mozart, not so much.

[JBS]

Guess that depends who is listening to it. And what the music is. I prefer a Steinway D or a Bösendorfer for Rachmaninov, if that makes you feel better. For Mozart, not so much.

Rachmaninov on a Ruckers would be a definite change of pace...

[Gurn Blanston]

Rachmaninov on a Ruckers would be a definite change of pace...

Nice concept, though! 

[calyptorhynchus]

I managed to get a van Oort Complete Keyboard works cheaply... from eBay (first time I have ever found eBay useful for CDs!) Will probably get one other performers too on single disks.

I was first converted to PI piano by Andreas Staier playing the Schubert Sonatas, now I'm going back to Haydn and Mozart. I think that while the modern piano is a wonderful instrument you need to hear what an instrument of the time (or a reconstructed one) sounded like in that music to hear more of the music, as it were.

As a sort of side-note has anyone heard the ABC Classics (Australia) Beethoven piano works played by Gerard Willems on a Stuart and Sons piano? This is a grand piano made by an Australian maker which was originally designed to make the piano a better orchestral instrument, but then was taken up by pianists like Gerard Willems. As far as I understand it is corrects some of the idiosyncrasies of modern grands by making the bass less boomy, the treble less tinkly, and generally gives it a more even timbre throughout. Willems' Beethoven is very nice to listen to, though I don't think he'd be in anyone's top ten of Beethoven pianists. You would't know it wasn't a standard modern grand he was playing unless someone told you, but when you know it makes the music more.. I don't know, more even without making it less Beethoven. Haven't heard that any other pianists have taken up this instrument though.



This is one disk of the set, but you might still be able to get the complete box which includes the piano concertos.

[vers la flamme]

^It might be different in your corner of the world, but I do 99% of my CD shopping on eBay. I consistently find better prices on CDs, new or used, on eBay compared to any other retailer or marketplace, Amazon included. My only complaint is that you need to know how to optimize their search engine, because it is terrible.

You might be right about hearing this old music as it were. I want to get my hands on the Bart van Oort Mozart set, but I'm trying to avoid repertoire duplication while I can, for now, anyway. Enjoy!

[Ratliff]

Surprised to see no mention of Brautigam. I have and thoroughly enjoyed his Beethoven Sonata recordings and subsequently got the Mozart set, although I have not gotten around to listening.