Howdy, y'all...I am the Sarah Palin of this board

[adamdavid80]

No, I don't hunt moose, but I am pretty much a complete neophyte to classical music. 

Well, that's not completely true.  I've always loved Mendelsohn's Italian Symphony, and in college studied classical guitar. 

but - yikes! - that was nearly 15 years ago now, and only recently was in a local music store and heard some wonderful solo piano work.  Asked the cashier what it was, and turns out it was Clara Haskil performing Mozart's sonata K.330.  Bought it, took it home, began playing it in my yoga classes (there's my profession right there folks), got really good reactions from the participants (it's a WONDERFUL recording, on Orfeo), and since then been spending my days in that record shop (here in NYC on w. 18th st, Academy Records) and single-handedly keeping that business afloat. 

So, here's my initial conundrum: LOOOVE Mozart's piano concertos, but which are the performances to get?  I just bought the box set's of Uchida and Brendel, and both have their strong points, but both have moments that don't really suit.  For instance: I LOVE Perahia's #19, but not enraptured by his No. 21.  OTOH, LOVE Brendel's No. 21, but think his No. 19 is too fast  and without feeling.  So - SOUND QUALITY and PERFORMANCE wise - which are your faves? 

Thanks!

[Mark G. Simon]

Considering the information you've already given us, most likely no single performance of the concertos will suffice for you.

I've had many opportunities to hear Malcolm Bilson play Mozart on the fortepiano, and I am always impressed with the love and enthusiasm he communicates in his performances. The fortepiano allows him to put a lot of fire into his playing without it sounding forced or over-the-top. When you see him performing live, his body language says things like "listen to this passage coming up! Isn't it wonderful?" I think you'll hear that in his recordings of the concertos with the English Baroque Soloists under John Eliot Gardiner. But be warned: the period instruments sound a lot different than the ones you're used to. 

[adamdavid80]

Thanks!  Academy actually DOES have four of the discs in the Bilson/Gardiner series, and have been curious about them...any in particular you'd recommend?

[Hollywood]

Greetings from Mozart's Vienna, adamdavid80. Welcome to the forum. 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Welcome to GMG, adamdavid80! Greetings from Delft, the Netherlands.

[mozartsneighbor]

Welcome to GMG forum, adamdavid80!
My greetings come from Mozart's Vienna too, but in my college days I used to live in Washington DC, and I often went up to NYC for the weekend and a visit to Academy was always a vital part of any visit to NYC for me -- great place, glad it is still going strong.
I must have about 50 cds that I bought there over the years.

Anyway, about the Mozart PCs: performances I have really treasured include Clifford Curzon in PC n. 20, with Britten conducting, full of passion, turmoil, and poise (it comes on a Decca Legends twofer, with other really good Mozart PC Curzon performances of n.26,24, 23,and 27); Gilels in n.27 is pretty nice too.  Another complete PC series that you haven't mentioned is Andras Schiff's with Vegh conducting, which is very nice overall; I have also recently enjoyed a cd of Anderszewski playing PC n. 21 and 24, I believe it was.
Oh, and Casadesus can be quite good in this repertoire too.
Hope these ideas help.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Sarah Palin wouldn't be caught dead teaching yoga classes or looking for Mozart concertos at Academy Records. What we've got here, folks, is another of them dern pinko commie liberal imposters pretending to be a bubba.

[adamdavid80]

Sarah Palin wouldn't be caught dead teaching yoga classes or looking for Mozart concertos at Academy Records. What we've got here, folks, is another of them dern pinko commie liberal imposters pretending to be a bubba.

Hahahahaha!  Pretend it's a game of Mad Libs, and just substitute "hunting mosse" for "teaching yoga", and we're set!

Thanks for recommendations Mozart'sneighbor, I'll look for them!  (and, of course, if there are any pieces of music or performances at all that you'd rank as "This Will Change Your Life!", I'm totally up to hearing it)

(is there any such forum?)

And thanks for all the greetings!

[bhodges]

Hi adamdavid80, and welcome.  Somehow I missed your intro, and that you are in NYC.  What part of the city are you in?  I'm not too far from Academy...the great bank account decimator! 

--Bruce

[adamdavid80]

Hi adamdavid80, and welcome.  Somehow I missed your intro, and that you are in NYC.  What part of the city are you in?  I'm not too far from Academy...the great bank account decimator! 

--Bruce

I'm downtown, live and work, so I'm in Academy more days than not.  I live near Washington Sq, and work around Union Sq.  And, yes, my bank account has not been the same since I discovered the place!

[bhodges]

You have mail!    (Check your P.M. inbox.)

--Bruce

[Jay F]

Hi, Adam. I'm new to this forum (joined yesterday), but I'm somewhat familiar with Mozart's PCs. They've been one of my favorite parts of the classical repertoire for twenty plus years. I'm not good at describing music, but I can tell you which versions I like.

I love 23 and 27 from Brendel's early set on Philips. I think they're the versions you'll find in your Brendel box set. The CD I found them on, Philips Silver Line 420 487-2, was one of my first two classical CDs, bought back in '86 or '87. They, and Brendel's Schubert 960 sonata (Philips Silver Line 420 644-2), are what made me fall in love with classical music. I discovered over the years that I really like the sound of most Philips discs, whether they're CD or LP.

I also like Uchida's 22, probably above all others. This concerto doesn't get nearly the acclaim it deserves IMO. It's one of my favorites. I also like her 20 & 21. One thing I like about her CDs (I don't know if this is true about the discs in the box set) is that they were issued in numerical order: 20 is on the same disc as 21; 22 with 23; 24 with 25, and so on.

I have another disc with 20 and 21, on DG's Galleria label (415-842-2), with Friedrich Gulda on piano. I'm never sure if I like this disc better than Uchida's.

Perahia I like, too. If I had to pick only one set of Mozart PCs, it would probably be Perahia's.

I also like 20 and 21 by Geza Anda. I had those on cassette, which I no longer own, and LP, which are in storage.

Hope this helps.

[springrite]

If you are the Sarah Palin of  this board, then my opinion of Sarah Palin has just improved dramatically! Welcome aboard!

[bhodges]

Hi, Adam. I'm new to this forum (joined yesterday), but I'm somewhat familiar with Mozart's PCs. They've been one of my favorite parts of the classical repertoire for twenty plus years. I'm not good at describing music, but I can tell you which versions I like.

Hey Jay F, welcome.  What part of the world are you in?

--Bruce

[mn dave]

Hi. I'm the Chico Marx of the board.

Maybe.

[karlhenning]

Hi. I'm the Chico Marx of the board.

Maybe.

We'll wait till we see you at a piano . . . .

[mn dave]

We'll wait till we see you at a piano . . . .

'Eeeeey, whadda you some kinda wise guy?

[Jay F]

Hey Jay F, welcome.  What part of the world are you in?

--Bruce

Hi, Bruce. I live in Pittsburgh, PA. Thanks for asking.

[bhodges]

Hi, Bruce. I live in Pittsburgh, PA. Thanks for asking.

Oh cool.  Do you get to any Pittsburgh Symphony concerts? 

--Bruce

[adamdavid80]

Hi, Adam. I'm new to this forum (joined yesterday), but I'm somewhat familiar with Mozart's PCs. They've been one of my favorite parts of the classical repertoire for twenty plus years. I'm not good at describing music, but I can tell you which versions I like.

I love 23 and 27 from Brendel's early set on Philips. I think they're the versions you'll find in your Brendel box set. The CD I found them on, Philips Silver Line 420 487-2, was one of my first two classical CDs, bought back in '86 or '87. They, and Brendel's Schubert 960 sonata (Philips Silver Line 420 644-2), are what made me fall in love with classical music. I discovered over the years that I really like the sound of most Philips discs, whether they're CD or LP.

I also like Uchida's 22, probably above all others. This concerto doesn't get nearly the acclaim it deserves IMO. It's one of my favorites. I also like her 20 & 21. One thing I like about her CDs (I don't know if this is true about the discs in the box set) is that they were issued in numerical order: 20 is on the same disc as 21; 22 with 23; 24 with 25, and so on.

I have another disc with 20 and 21, on DG's Galleria label (415-842-2), with Friedrich Gulda on piano. I'm never sure if I like this disc better than Uchida's.

Perahia I like, too. If I had to pick only one set of Mozart PCs, it would probably be Perahia's.

I also like 20 and 21 by Geza Anda. I had those on cassette, which I no longer own, and LP, which are in storage.

Hope this helps.

Awesome stuff, thanks, and, as much as a fellow newbie can, let me welcome you to our merry little island!  The Anda stuff I've been considering, someone recommended it VERY highly.  Actually, Bruce and anyone else in NYC, here's a newsflash, along with a sob-story/cautionary tale: THE VIRGIN STORE in Union Sq is having a 35% off sale on their entire classical section, along with Jazz and World (the downstairs stuff, essentially, minus the DVDs).  A couple of days ago I saw that they did indeed have the Anda box...8 CDs that normally go for 65, with the discount that would be...rrrrr...42 bucks or so.  An awesome deal, right?  Does Mr. Schmuck (me) grab it and run for the register?  Noooo...I sit there and contemplate, "Hmmm, I've already got Brendel and Uchida boxes, and a bunch of Perahia, and a Gilels 27, and some Staier (9, 17, 27), and some others...do I NEED more Mozart PCs?  I dunno..."  Went off, 15 minutes later, I think, "You know what?  For that price, you can't go wrong.  Why not, grab it."  I go back, and sure enough, the sucker is nestled under the arm of someone else, with a bunch of other things.  I sorta tailed him, hoping he would have second thoughts, but no, he made it to the register and escaped.  (Come to think of it, this hesitating on a perfectly good opportunity and watch someone else reap the rewards of a quick decision process is essentially the dynamic I had with girls in middle school)

But I DID pick up a number of great things, among them Brendel and Rubinstein and Haskil's Schubert sonatas.  And I'm loving these a great deal right now.  My cup runneth over. 

So great to meet you, and thanks for the advice!!