Repertoire: The IDEAL Mozart Piano Concertos
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- Here it is, by semi-popular demand, my IDEAL list of the 21 Mozart concertos for solo piano and orchestra played by 21 different pianists. Check it out and please let me know how many of your choices agree with mine, and if not, where they differ. Which versions make your own list? Inquiring minds want to know!
Thanks Dave. A very challenging self-assignment. I expect I’m like a lot of subscribers in not being in a position to do a whole list here - but thank goodness there are some of these where I haven’t listened enough yet to have clear preferences, means more Mozart exploring to come!
I have actually done this in making a playlist for a friend years ago, but can’t recall the contents or justification wholly now. It was supposed to be a mix of different performers rather than “the best” and I expect it’ll be more difficult to come to an overlapping consensus here than with the Beethoven concerto cycles, where I think you were talking about this.
So just a few remarks rather than a list in a possible spirit of diversity.
I agree the Ashkenazy cycle overall is underrated- it’s beautifully played and recorded.
In number 9, I quite like Brendel's first recording on Vox (now brilliant), he was a “jeune homme” then after all. Agree generally about Gardiner and Bilson, and the period sonorities here are really a treat.
No 15- seem to recall enjoying Barenboim on Teldec in this. No 17- well, too many to choose from but thought I’d mention Andreas Staier.
No 19, probably Goode/ Orpheus, although I quite like Pollini in Mozart and his recording with Boehm could be an example, all the contrapuntal games in the finale suit him.
No 22, maybe Edwin Fischer
25 I had a real problem here because so many excellent ones: E Fischer, Fleisher, Goode again. But maybe Buchbinder and Harnoncourt for the sonorities
26. - it is a bit de rigueur to disparage it, but its realisation depends a lot on improvisation and it’s attractive. Thanks for the Vasary tip. I’d have thought something HIP might help here, so as I’ve mentioned Bilson, maybe somewhere to mention Immerseel's set on Channel classics. Just listened actually it's a nice performance of 26.
No 27 Brendel - this was in my original playlist but I’ll have to go listen again to figure out why ;) It would have been with Marriner
I can only agree with you on the overall excellence of the Schiff/ Vegh set, but obvs I need to do some more listening to A Fischer and Haskil. You’ll see that I haven’t bothered coming up with “the one recording” of some of the more famous ones (eg 20, 21, 23, 24). I'm really not sure i could!
Many of yours I don’t know, so I’ll be listening to them for sure. Here is my list. I’ve got some performers appearing multiple times, and for many I have more than one pick, but...
5: Levin, Academy of Ancient Music, Hogwood
6, 8: Zitterbart, Schlierbacher Kammerorchester, Fey
9: Staier, Concerto Köln
11: Kocsis, Budapest Festival Orchestra
12, 13: Bezuidenhout, Freiburger Barockorchester
14: Rankí, Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra Budapest, Rolla
15: Levin, Academy of Ancient Music, Hogwood
16: Levin, Academy of Ancient Music, Hogwood
17: Staier, Concerto Köln... Levin, Academy of Ancient Music, Hogwood
18: Barenboim, Berlin Philharmonic... Immerseel, Anima Aterna
19: Staier, Concerto Köln
20: Levin, Academy of Ancient Music, Hogwood... Perahia, English Chamber Orchestra (love the Beethoven cadenzas)
21: Brautigam, Die Kölner Akademie, Willens (mostly a weak cycle but this one they get right)... Kovacevich, London Symphony, Davis
22: Brendel, Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Angerer... Levin, Academy of Ancient Music, Hogwood
23: Buchbinder, Concentus Musicus Wien, Harnoncourt... Levin, Academy of Ancient Music, Hogwood... Vogt, Mozartean Orchester Salzburg, Bolton... Grante, Santa Cecilia Academy Rome Orchestra, Sieberer (if you ignore the ridiculous Godowsky cadenzas)
24: Goode, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
25: Zacharias, Laussane Chamber Orchestra... Buchbinder, Concentus Musicus Wien, Harnoncourt
26: Levin, Academy of Ancient Music, Hogwood (doesn’t sound unfinished at all with Levin’s improvisations... this album, which also has the 15th and is played on Mozart’s own fortepiano, might be my favorite record of Mozart concertos)
27: Staier, Freiburger Barockorchester, der Goltz (I know you hate this record)... Perahia, English Chamber Orchestra
Bernstein must of had a soft spot for No15. He did it with VPO as well, remastered on DECCA Legends and its a absolutely beautiful performance. .
Yes, it is, and such a great concerto.
Heavens, what a struggle. But I made it -- no duplication of pianist or conductor or orchestra.
No 5 - Peter Frankl / Orchestra of the Vienna Volksoper / Georg Fischer
No 6 - Zoltan Kocsis / Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra / Janos Rolla
No 8 - Wilhelm Kempff / Berlin Philharmonic / Ferdinand Leitner
No 9 - Mitsuko Uchida / Cleveland Orchestra
No 11 - Daniel Barenboim / English Chamber Orchestra
No 12 - Alicia de Larrocha / London Sinfonietta / David Zinman
No 13 - Myra Hess / New York Philharmonic / Bruno Walter.
No 14 - Walter Klien / "Pro Musica" Orchester Wien / Paul Angerer
No 15 - Paul Badura-Skoda / Prague Chamber Orchestra
No 16 - Carmen Piazzini / Lenningrad Soloists / Michail Gantvarg
No 17 - Andreas Staier / Concerto Koln
No 18 - Leif Ove Andsnes / Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
No 19 - Maurizio Pollini / Vienna Philharmonic / Karl Bohm
No 20 - Clara Haskil / Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux / Igor Markevitch.
No 21 - Moura Lympany / Philharmonia / Herbert Menges. One of Lympany's own selections for her "desert island discs". Who am I to gainsay?
No 22 - Edwin Fischer / Danish Chamber Orchestra
No 23 - Ben Kim / Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra / Michael Waterman
No 24 - Ivan Moravec / Academy of St. Martin in the Fields / Neville Marriner
No 25 - Howard Shelley / Tasmanian Symphony
No 26 - Ronald Brautigam / Die Kolner Akademie / Michael Alexander Willens
No 27 - Maria João Pires / Orchestra Mozart / Claudio Abbado
Very interesting list, and it includes some performances I've not heard. Thanks!
Mozart 17 Dezo Ranki Mozart 18 Ashkenazy Mozart 19 Radu Lupu Mozart 20 Ashkenazy Mozart 21 Radu Lupu Mozart 24 Grigory Sokolov Maria Grinberg Mozart 25 Murray Perahia Mozart 27 Emil Gilels Alexei Lubimov Mozart 22 Laura Mikkola
The 19th has two records I would take. Anda's and Grimaud's. It's by far one of the most difficult concertos to perform and not be boring.
As far as the worst pianist for the 19th, Lupu's live was lifeless and boring.
We have an old proverb here in Hungary: all is good when the end is Good(e) ;-) In fact the eight concertos Goode recorded with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra are the absolute favorites of mine, listening to any of them makes me feel that they simply can't be bettered, only equaled...sometimes. And this is as much to be thanked to the Orpheus CO as I adore their Nos 21 & 22 recorded by Jonathan Biss for EMI too. I miss some artists though, Stephen Kovacevich with Colin Davis on Philips with wonderful Nos 21 & 25 or Piotr Anderzewski with Sinfonia Varsovia (Nos 17, 20, 21 & 24) and of course Clifford Curzon on Decca. For historical recordings I like the Edwin Fischer HMV recordings with surprisingly good sound.
The best Mozart piano concertos players are Really=Mozart 15 Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Mozart 17 Dezsö Ranki Mozart 18 Ashkenazy Mozart 19 Radu Lupu Mozart 20 Vladimir Ashkenazy Mozart 21 Radu Lupu Mozart 22 Laura Mikkola Mozart 23 Solomon Cutner Mozart 24 Maria Grinberg Grigory Sokolov Mozart 25 Murray Perahia Mozart 27 Alexei Lubimov
Haskil was Romanian, but I don‘t hold it against you for mixing up the two, as in those days national borders were a bit, let‘s say, fluid. Although Haskil was born in Bucharest, which was the country‘s capital for most of history. Of course, Haskil was also Jewish.
The thing about the 15th that always touches me deeply is actually the middle movement…which I recall one day years ago thinking “where I have I heard this BEFORE? I know I’ve heard this somewhere else before…”
It wouldn’t be clear to me where until one day when I was listening to Schubert’s 5th. When the slow movement hit, I instantly remembered the Mozart 15th. Played the two movements side by side, over and over, it was actually an intensely moving experience, since the similar themes and harmonic progressions are lovely and tender. To me it’s as if God dropped the theme and harmony on both Mozart and Schubert in dreams years apart saying “do something heartfelt with this”…and they both delivered.
They're certainly very similar: in style, tempo and in the same key (E♭). I reckon Schubert nicked it (consciously or subconsciously). He was a lazy sod - at least in the early symphonies.
Great list! All great pianists, but when it comes to Mozart, I can’t help but choose Robert Levin in all concerti. His complete and total grasp of Mozart, improvisation, and the nature of Classical style and performance of the era is utterly brilliant and astounding. His improvised embellishments and cadenzas are always a thrill. I do like the use of the fortepiano for historically informed purposes, but alas, I wish he would do more recordings on the modern piano as my ear is just more accustomed to it. Nevertheless, all of these pianists are top notch! I love Perahia, Uchida, Brendel, etc. etc. etc.
Ah. No.15 got me into classical music and it's still my favorite. That 2nd movement is so etheral.
Thank you for your kind words and support, Dave, and also mentioning Between the Keys (now in its 6th year!). Your list is fabulous and always thought provoking. And despite my alleged reputation as the "pianophile to end all pianophiles," you mentioned several that I had not even known about , such as the Vasary/Berlin "Coronation" Concerto. I'm going to check it out, even though I do share your antipathy towards this rather inconsequential composition! For me, Wanda Landowska's 1937 recording remains the most interesting "Coronation" because of her considerable embellishments that fill out the bare textures.
And the fact that she plays it with her toes on a unique, Pedal-Klavier.
Looking it up now, excited to start viewing.
I also love the Wanda Landowska recording. She took what Mozart left us and really turned it into fully realized music.
My personal favourite of the concerti is 15. It's such a lively, humorous work! I find that it's the one that everyone has done more-or-less good. It leaves a lot of space for fun, and expression, both in the solo and in the orchestral parts! That opening chromatic theme is so good and memorable. For me it's one of the best introductions to Mozarts' music. It's also a blast to play, compaired to the later ones, which I personally find somewhat tedious at times. This period, from the 14th to the 19th concerti is my favourite span of his output. It's just such a captivating romp!
Great video. Thanks! How about Curzon and Britten for 20 or 27? Haskil was also very special in these, along with 9, 23, and 24. But wholly agree with the Uchida/Tate, Schiff/Vegh, and the Anda recommendations. But don't you notice how pianists tend to divide up into those who emphasise the sad undercurrent to Mozart (e.g. Uchida, possibly Schiff) and those who emphasise it less (e.g. Kempff in the concertos or Perahia)? And the division between the piano as forthright (e.g. Haskil and Anda) and the piano as delicate (e.g. Schiff, Perahia, Uchida) - very different ways of presenting these supremely great works (Mozrta's greatest, imho).
Yes, I agree. These are all valid and interesting observations. I love Curzon/Britten, personally, but the reality is that we are spoiled for choice.
I have started listening to the 20th by Brendel/Mackerras, R.Serkin/Schneider and Uchida/Tate. To my profane ears, I like Serkin the best. Intengible but I feel that there is a certain fluidity in the play that makes the music flow naturallly...if there is anything like that.
The Mozart piano concertos were instrumental in forming my musical sensibility and taste... many years ago now. Still love them, but have heard all of them so many times I don't listen that often any more. I listened to laregely Walter Klien, Peter Frankl (who taught Schiff), and early Brendel on Vox/Turnabout. Awful old sonics, but bright and charming performances, for the most part. Many better recordings nowadays. BTW, I'm fine with Schiff, but wow, someone should've revoked Glenn Gould's piano license for his awful Mozart sonatas. Not sure if he crapped all over the concertos, too, if he had I'd've avoided them anyway. (Gould was very skilled and some of his performances are stunning. Not his Mozart).
Ashkenazy also made a lovely recording of No 6 with the LSO and Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt on Decca. I've no idea how this compares to his performance in the complete set, so I shall... keep on listening. Really enjoying this "IDEAL" series -- many thanks!
Great pick with Moravec for 23. I love his Mozart concerti! Also Vasary in 26, what a great choice!
I think Ashkenazy is very versatile and good; additionally, I like his Chopin and Rachmaninov sets.
The Best Mozart piano concertos players are Really=Mozart 15 Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Mozart 17 Dezo Ranki Mozart 18 Ashkenazy Mozart 19 Radu Lupu Mozart 20 Ashkenazy Mozart 21 Radu Lupu Mozart 22 Jörg Demus Robert Casadesus Laura Mikkola Natalia Trull Mozart 23 Solomon Cutner Mozart 24 Grigory Sokolov Maria Grinberg Mozart 25 Murray Perahia Mozart 27 Alexei Lubimov! Double Concerto Gavrilov Dang Thai Son!
Talking of Horowitz/Giulini, I was just revisiting the documentary about making that and there are some phrasings he turns (even in those twilight years) which I have rarely heard done better by anyone in that concerto. In that documentary, there is also that wonderful interaction he has with the page-turner where he (Horowitz) seems to be using the turner's reaction as a barometer of the quality of his performance: if the page-turner nods approval -- which, of course, he always DOES -- then VH seems happy :-)
my favorite collection of music ever written
You listed Szell's wonderful partnerships with Fleisher and Casadesus. Though you mentioned the Szell collaboration with Serkin, it's too bad you couldn't include one, since they both mastered the idiom in Vienna under the tutelage of Richard Robert (also a Haskil teacher). I've always cherished the Serkin-Szell combination in Nos. 19 and 20. But I especially love No. 25, recorded in Cleveland with cadenzas by Casadesus. It's still available in good mono sound as part of Serkin's Complete Columbia Recordings series.
The mono 17 and 25 are even better, one the greatest of Mozart concerto discs. I addition, the Casadesus/Szell 15 is poor both were past their prime. The 21 with Szell is their greatest achievement and rank with the Serkin?Szell listed above.
I got so many Mozart Piano Concertos, as they are my favored classical music of all, and a few I want to recommend, that are not mentioned that often: Helyard "Debut in Vienna"" and also Havard Gimse's set of 11,12,13. Then Olga Pashchenko, as she is just incredible, historic, modern and so powerful at the same time - I hope she's going to record all the Mozart PC. And then the recordings by Heidsieck (with both, Graf and Vandernoot) and Bavouzet, as they are so different but both so extraordinary.
Hey Dave, can you cover your ideal Liszt (hehe) of Liszt's tone poems?
Don't laugh. I was thinking about it and I think I probably could. But let's face it--it's not really a priority at this point (any point?). I already did a talk on Liszt tone poems complete sets--have a look at that!
@@DavesClassicalGuide Oh nice, I'll take a look. Thanks!
Ok, I ask you. We know that there are several boxes
which are redundant. But, I can't believe the labels always got it all wrong
Personally, as a result of your Music Chat 10 Boxed Sets We Need DESPERATELY,
I asked myself, I would desperately like to know what David Hurwitz considers
as being the 10 best already published boxes IN THE ACTUAL MARKET (SO not the Fritz Reiner at 999.62$).
Personally, the best purchase I have made in my life is possibly the decca box "Wiener Philharmoniker: The Orchestral Edition" (actually at 2k+ ????? crazy world) Thanks! No pression! I can wait! I like your "executive editor's" style. So, everything, you post, i enjoy!
That is a great idea and I promise I will do it. Thank you.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Fantastic, thank you! It could include somes of the overpriced boxes that the labels absolutely should reissues...
A mishmash of all kinds of recordings. I didn't feel like mentioning something about all of them, but usually I don't like my Mozart to dawdle.
8 Kempff/Leitner : I got one!
9 Firkusny/Szell/Concergebouw : Firkusny was a great Mozart pianist, but unfortunately made very few Mozart recordings.
11 Levin/Hogwood
12 Kraus/Monteux
13 Michelangeli/GIulini: Very limited sound, but this recording interests me in how shockingly driven it is, yet calculatingly paced.
14 R. Serkin/Schneider: Studio or live, both great. The live performance has foot stomping included!
15 Solomon/Ackermann: Solomon was a very cool and sometimes timid Mozart pianist, which I quite like in his concerto. The orchestra plays wonderfully with him.
16 Anda/Camerata : Anda really nails the bubbliness of this concerto
17 Bashkirov/Barshai : Very sharp and uptempo recording.
18 Heidsieck/Graf : Extremely cheeky, maybe too much so?
19 Staier/Concerto Koln
20 Annie Fischer/Lukacs : I often think the Beethoven cadenzas are better but Hummel's are refreshing
21 Lipatti/Karajan
22 Edwin Fischer/Danish Chamber Orchestra: He was past his technical prime here but I think it's one of his clearest sound quality recordings.
23 Casadesus/Szell: I just like how straightforward this recording is.
24 Schnabel/Susskind: What are those cadenzas :)???
25 Kovacevich/Colin Davis: I think Kovacevich often has a muscular approach to Mozart, and it works wonderfully here.
26 Curzon/Boulez : Sir Curzon knows how to run a Coronation!
27 Richter/Britten
Excellent, helpful choices. Thanks. I heard a BBC record review of Brautigam and Kolner Akademie playing Mozart's 20th piano concerto and hated what I heard, although the reviewer thought it wonderful. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on it, if you've heard it.
I'm not a fan.
Hi David
Thanks for this wondering sharing.
How do you think no 13, 15, 20 & 25 by Michelangeli and NDR Garben?
13 and 15 are better than 20 and 25.
So happy you picked Moravec for 23. What about the version he made with Vlach ? I always thought the way Moravec plays the adagio is one of the greatest moment in music making history (I remember Christophe Huss sharing a similar feeling in classicstodayfrance)
Both are great.
Thanks to David for the opportunity of sharing our favourites 9 Richard Goode, 11,12 13 Susan Tomes (these are the chamber versions) 14,15,16, 17 Jean Efflam Bavouzet (his cadenzas in 17 are gorgeous) 18 Richard Goode, 19 Brendel/Marriner, 20 Seong Jin Cho, 21, 22 Jonathan Biss, 23 Brendel/Marriner, 24 Yevgeny Sudbin, 25 Leon Fleischer, 27 Serkin/Ormandy
Mozart 17 Dezo Ranki Mozart 18 Ashkenazy Mozart 19 Radu Lupu Mozart 20 Ashkenazy Mozart 21 Radu Lupu Mozart 24 Grigory Sokolov Maria Grinberg Mozart 25 Murray Perahia Mozart 27 Emil Gilels Alexei Lubimov
I am with you on the Bilson set for a great period performance. I also appreciated your reference to the Tovey article on the 25th. I had to read some of Tovey’s analyses when I was in school but never knew until four or five years ago that he was a composer, and a really fine one! His piano quartet, Op.12, melts my heart and leaves me mesmerized every time I hear it (it somehow reminds me of the Beethoven Op.90 sonata). Would you be up for a video surveying some of Tovey’s musical output?
He's not a priority, to be honest. I find most of his music rather derivative--but you never know!
I listened to a few of his other works and did not find any of them engaging, but I was wondering if you came across any gems among his output. While his piano quartet is not my favorite piece of chamber music by any stretch of the imagination, I think it is among the finest of the piano quartets out there, including the Schumann as well as Mendelssohn’s and Faure’s quartets.
Hi Dave, I agree absolutely with you about 12o concert with Zacharias and the Polish Chamber Orch conducted by Jerzy Maczymiuk (¿¿??), and No 14 with the same Orch and Conductor is magnific too, I think that is the best disc of this semi-integral! Regards Óscar Olavarría, from, Chile, South America
Dave, why did you ignore Concerti #7 (the 3-Piano Concerto) and #10 (the 2-Piano Concerto)?
Dave, for a long time now I have been listening to what I think is the best person(s) who really understand Mozart. Lili Kraus and Conductor, Stephen Simon's full set of all the Concertos of Mozart are really a knockout. Lili Kraus understands Mozart's pathos, his humor, his delicacy, and I find that her playing brings out emotions that I never knew I had...! They play together marvelously and the whole set is touted to be the best around and I agree.
I am super curious about how you would compare the Annie Fischer version of no. 21 to the Casadesus/Szell version. Both got high praise in the Penguin guide but the latter got the "rosetta". I grew up on the Barenboim (English Chamber Orchestra) version but have listened mostly to the Casadesus version for the last many years. After watching your video I got the Fischer version to see if a new experience was hiding there. The biggest difference for me is the different cadanzas. When switching from Barenboim to Casadesus the difference doesn't jump out at me. But Fischer's cadanzas are very different and seem very "un-Mozartian" to me, which bothers me a bit.
I heard Mitsuko Uchida perform the K.503 and the 27th concerto live. It was an awesome performance and brought a smile to my face
Getting to this a bit late, and I see a number of old favorites and a number I’m eager to hear. I dig into remote memory to mention two unforgettable live performances, 1) Clifford Curzon (though not with Britten), and 2), Glenn Gould with Bernstein and the NYP, which I think is still on TH-cam, from the radio broadcast.
I'd add the 16th, recorded by Rudolf Serkin and Schneider. The fruit didn't fall far from the tree!
I wonder if you were going to include Haskil and Horowitz. Very entertaining. Thanks Dave.
wonder if anyone else likes Anda's version of the Coronation conc. - his exuberance won me over
Hello David. I am new to your group and so far enyoing it quite much. I've listened to a couple of videos and found them objective and sensible, even if I don't get to agree with all of your views here and there. Never mind. This video about Mozart's piano concertos one by one is excellent, rather ambitious considering the monumental output it covers. And I was very happy to coincide with you on several pianists. Robert Casadesus (15), Mitsuko Uchida (24) and Tamas Vasary (26). All three REALLY great Mozart interpreters. I also share your insightful comments on the Concerto No. 25, which is a truly majestic work, yet not that well-known. These concertos are sort of an everlasting source of musical inspiration, which always deserve primary attention if one is to develop any significant taste I think.
Don't know if you ever get to read this, hope you do. And excuse me for the long comment, just wanted to share my experience. Cheers!
Thanks for your thoughts, and welcome to the party!
Haskil is my all-time favorite in #19 as well. I especially love her live recordings of this concerto (1956 from Besancon, 1957 from Lausanne and 1959 from Paris), the 1957 and 1959 performances were recorded in very early stereo, that makes them even more special!
It’s interesting how the whole concept of the relationship between soloist and orchestra in a Mozart Piano Concerto has been aesthetically and practically handled in different recordings. Consider just the recorded sound between piano and orchestra in the Schiff/Vegh recording of No. 17 K 453 compared to Rudolf Serkin/Schneider. The Schiff recording seems to integrate the piano into the orchestra, sometimes nearly disappearing into the ensemble while the Serkin allows the piano to be up front more prominently. Peter Serkin with the English Chamber Orchestra is similar balance-wise but Peter sings better together with the orchestra. I prefer it to Rudolf’s and Schiff’s versions even if it is a little too controlled at times. Brendel/Paul Angerer (Vox) is a favorite in K 453 even if the orchestra sound is a bit less than ideal and Solomon Cutner in No. 15 K 450.
Brendel and Angerer in the K 482 in E flat is also magical and the way the violin section was recorded in this one is wonderfully different and bright and raw and alive, loved it. Brendels filigree, obligattos, oasis and playing along in the tutti s is also to the manner born in this and all his recordings as well
Ideal Scarlatti Sonata list. DO IT!!!
Yikes! Each and every sonata? However, perhaps Dave will do a general talk on all-Scarlatti single or double CD releases. Right of the top of my head, I think of Horowitz, Pletnev, Haskil, Anne Queffelec's extraordinary 1970 Erato recital, the first Sudbin Scarlatti recital for BIS....well....I'm getting carried away here...
@@jdistler2 I obviously insist on a different pianist for every sonata.... It's completely reasonable isn't it?
It is amazing how differently may Mozart piano concertos be viewed in different continents.
I could talk about all those mentioned here, but the main thing is what Mozart music should
sound like. Here I find the "Viennese" approach a must. Simply said, the music (passages, phrases) must SPEAK! Probably you can see the best example for what I mean between in comparison of No. 23 in A Major played by Gulda - Abbado - European Youth Orch. and Horowitz. They are million miles apart. In Gulda´s playing has each tone it´s importance, each phrase speaking, while Horowitz scales are just scales with no deeper insight. I highly recommend to anybody to listen first to Gulda and then to Horowitz. I believe the both
performances are here on TH-cam. I know not everyone will agree with me, but you really
have to listen to both of them, and then argue.
Or just like them both, and leave it at that.
Due to the recent releases of Mozart piano concertos by artists such as Bavouzet, Hewitt and McDermott, I think this list should be updated.
That's nice. Feel free.
Great pick for no. 9 with Andsnes!
Thanks to your incredibly enthusiastic vlog I learned to listen again to music, in a more concentrated way. The sheer amount of music now available tends to turn us into superficial listening machines. You are trying to change that. And you succeed. It must be almost 40 years ago now since I bought my first classical record: Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 21 - Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich! Imho still the best.
Great to hear!
I don't know all of these recordings, but I like Gulda/Arrau for 20 and 21...for the last 45 years or so. Casadesus/Szell for 27. Annie Fischer is always good. I don't have favorites for the others.
Arrau? Is there a recording of him playing a Mozart concerto?
@@willemboone7912 I think when I wrote that that I was not sure whether it was Gulda or Arrau. I am now sure that I meant Gulda. I don't have such an Arrau recording.
So many new recordings I can add to my playlist! This is a great series and I'm really enjoying it. Thank you David.
One question: do you consider Haskil/Markevitch's #20, #24 as a great recording? I know Haskil is a great great Mozartean, but I personally prefer many other recordings to this, maybe because I feel Markevitch's accompaniment a little too heavy and rough. I checked out classicstoday a while ago and I remember score was pretty low. But you seem to like it in this video!
It got a 7 because the reviewer (neither me nor Jed) didn't like the orchestra, but we all agree that Haskil is great (and I'm not as bothered by the Lamoureux--I like the French sound generally).
Hey I bought your book in the LA Phil store of the Mahler symphonies, very detailed :thumbsup:
Thank you!
Hello David: I know this is a few months old now, but do you have an opinion on Benjamin Britten and Clifford Curzon's 1970 performance of No. 27 with the ECO on Decca? I find it elegant, but robustly so, not 'precious' or fussy. The sonics are OK, too, I think. Great video, by the way. I shall be re-thinking my previous fairly binary Bilson/Perahia collection ASAP! Thank you.
I think it's great.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Thank you. That makes me feel a little more secure in my listening!
I understand that some pianist have to be left out, but no room for de Larrocha?
As you said...and I love Larrocha.
David, I just heard Mozart’s Violin concerto #5 on the radio, and it prompted me to ask you to review the 7 (7!) of them, or fewer if you think more fitting. I heard #5 a couple of times over the years and found it delightfully unique and original; even amusing. I’m sure I’ve heard some of the others, but #5 stands out. I don’t think it’s appreciated nearly enough. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I’m guessing you already have one in the works.
@@carlconnor5173 Yes.
Another fab video! Thanks. I'm glad you gave a thumbs-up, for Ashkenazy's Philharmonia Decca set. I only recently acquired it, and it blew me away. Far and away better recorded than Perahia's on Sony, which I'd kind of got too used to. I needed a change, and Ashkenazy steps up!
I'm afraid that, when listening after hearing all the hype, Perahia seemed a bit wishy washy to me.
@@ThreadBomb I pretty much agree. The worst aspect, though is the huge variance in the sound quality of (Perahia's) recordings, some of which are definitely 'wishy-washy!' I am totally happy with Ashkenazy's set, however. My 'go to' at the moment.
and there's no Barenboim 😶
and it's no loss.
I thought I was comfortable with Curzon. Especially for the no. 23. I'm going to broaden my horizons a little. Thanks!
My pleasure. Enjoy.
@@DavesClassicalGuide The problem here is one of "too many riches". If you've already got a large shelf-full of Mozart PC, "keeping up" can get very expensive and space-consuming. So, "broaden your horizons" selectively. Dave's list is as good as any. But with a different pianist for each, you've really run up the bill!
Rudolf Serkin was my standard in the D Minor concerto for decades, but now I find it too "hyper-charged". I enjoy pianists who can do something with the music (ornament, tastefully). I didn't like the "Coronation" until I heard Landowska's 1936, which for all its problems, made me listen to what she did with the piece. In the C Major (K. 503), Klemperer made his accompaniment interesting, if not standard, a real "sonic framework". Mozart as Beethoven? The piece can take it! And, the cadenza in 503 has erupted into the "Marseillaise" and alternately, into Papageno's aria, in two different on-line places. Vulgar? I suppose, but Lili Kraus did the same in her series in Town Hall in the late 1960s. And, about the last note of the last chord in 503: Reiner brought out the top of the chord, and that was VERY interesting! Enjoy! These pieces are a lifetime sentence. P.S. I love Curzon and Haskil, too.
It was actually Klemperer who handled that last chord so effectively. Reiner may have done that, too, but it has been at least 30 years since I heard that recording. Overall, not so great. Klemperer had a young Barenboim as soloist.
I'm currently trying to make my way through the Mozart concertos and your video couldn't have dropped at a better time. Your recommendations will definitely be helpful.
I'm glad Andsnes got his mention because he's a pianist I often recommend. And his conducting is surprisingly great and exciting as well. Nice pick.
I'm also glad you did Schiff justice because he always gets disproportionate and unjustified hatred.
I'm just a bit disappointed Anderszewski didn't get a mention. His recording of No.24 in particular blew me away the first time I heard it. Of course Uchida is excellent too, but this guy's playing is serious. It has balls! Some will say it doesn't really fit Mozart and I can hear that. Because Anderszewski can be pretty rough around the edges, but that's the thing: he's not trying to polish the music just because it's Mozart. And it's very refreshing.
One last mention that I think has a controversial potential is Kissin. Controversial because I feel like Kissin is a pianist you can only hate or love. But I need to mention his playing of No.20 (with Kremerata Baltica) because it's by far the most exciting I've heard. Even edges Argerich out. His vertiginous playing of the first movement cadenza alone makes it worth hearing.
And thanks Dave for your work!
I don't own 23 different performances of each concerto. I'll only mention the performances I like the most which go by your rules. No. 9 - Brendel/Janigro I enjoy most of the Vanguard (remember them?) recordings he made. The Sturm Und Drang symphonies by him are very special. I like this early Brendel Mozart concerto recording alot. No. 14 - agree with you on Serkin/Schneider. No. 15 - Brendel/Marriner. Don't love all the Mozart the two of them did. But I think this is a wonderful recording. A lot of the humor of the last movement is brought out. The tempo of the middle movement is just right for me (I think Szell's a little too fast for my taste). No. 16 - agree with you on Peter Serkin/Schneider. No. 17 (Serkin/Szell in mono). I love the Casadesus/Szell and Daddy Serkin/Schneider. But I think this earlier recording outdoes the last two mentioned. I think it's one of Rudolf Serkin's finest recordings. No. 19 - agree with you on Haskil. Understatement. She's a wonderful Mozartean. Agree on No. 20 - Brendel/Mackerras. On the topic of their Mozart concertos. I was disappointed with the last CD they made together of Mozart. No. 21 - Casadesus/Szell. No. 23 - Rubinstein/Wallenstein. Didn't think I'd like this performance when I first listened to it. There was nothing to fear. No. 25 - agree with you on Fleisher/Szell.
The early Brendel recordings (not mentioned by Dave) on Turnabout and Vanguard were my intro to these awesome works. I'm not sure they were diminished by his later recordings with Marriner. Recording was a bit boxy, accompaniments were hardly sophisticated, but there's a magic about them. To this day, when I hear Brendel playing Mozart I feel like he's finding something that no other pianist quite grasps. And the cover artwork on those Turnabout lps was exactly right. You knew right away they weren't going to cost much!
I agree about Brendel's Mozart. I think he was one of the best Mozartean pianists of the last half of the 20th century. At his best, he was able to find the singing quality of the music which I don't hear as much in many other pianists. As someone who was starting to buy LPs in the late 60s and early 70s, I used to love finding something interesting among the Turnabout, Vanguard, Nonesuch, Odyssey, Westminster and Victrola labels.
The best Mozart piano concertos players are Really=Mozart 15 Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Mozart 17 Dezsö Ranki Mozart 18 Ashkenazy Mozart 19 Radu Lupu Mozart 20 Vladimir Ashkenazy Mozart 21 Radu Lupu Mozart 22 Laura Mikkola Mozart 23 Solomon Cutner Mozart 24 Maria Grinberg Grigory Sokolov Mozart 25 Murray Perahia Mozart 27 Alexei Lubimov
@jeremyberman7808 thanks for citing the masterful Brendel in several of his Mozart Concertos which spring to life in his hands. I find any other pianist in this repertoire to be just also rans and wannabes where Brendel gets inside the music, the notes and spirit of the music.
Dave, greetings from the Penal Colonies. Bravo! Here is my list. Note, in a couple of instances, given your rules, I had to nominate non-favourites to avoid double-ups. There are much better PC11s (K 413) than Schiff, good as he is.
5 - 175 - Brendel & Marriner
6 - 238 - Kocsis & Rolla
8 - 246 - Ashkenazy & Kertesz
9 - 271 - Gulda and Bohm 1969 (Orfeo)
- great stuff.
11 - 413 - Schiff and Vegh.
12 - 414 - Serkin (Sony)
13 - 415 - Barenboim & Berlin Phil
14 - 449 - Zacharias & Maksymiuk (yes, Dave, I was thrilled to see you nominate him in K 414 (12)).
15 - 450 - Levin & Hogwood - with the alternative recreation of the slow movement.
16 - 451 - Tirimo & Prague Chamber Orchestra
17 - 453 - Geza Anda DG
18 - 456 - Ingrid Haebler
19 - 459 - Murray Perahia
20 - 466 - Dino Ciani & Bellugi 1972. To burn down the house.
21 - 467 - Annie Fischer & Sawallisch
22 - 482 - Edwin Fischer Vienna Phil EMI
1946 - War is over!
23 - 488 - Uchida & Tate
24 - 491 - Clara Haskil & Markevitch
25 - 503 - Seeman on Orfeo. Beyond praise - a phenomenal performance!
26 - 537 - Vasary & Berlin Phil 1979 DG
- yep.
27 - 595 - Gilels & Bohm
- the King!
Best wishes, B
Gilels/Böhm disc has been on my radar for a while; which do you think is the better way to acquire it? The DG Original disc with Schubert fantasia or the 2-disc purple box with the sonatas?
@@초전도체-b3b Mate, go the Purple as the inclusions are wonderful as well.
@@bernardohanlon3498 Thank you very much!
The best Mozart piano concertos players are Really=Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Mozart 17 Dezsö Ranki Mozart 18 Ashkenazy Mozart 19 Radu Lupu Mozart 20 Vladimir Ashkenazy Mozart 21 Radu Lupu Mozart 22 Laura Mikkola Mozart 23 Solomon Cutner Mozart 24 Maria Grinberg Grigory Sokolov Mozart 25 Murray Perahia Mozart 27 Alexei Lubimov
Great selection.
For the 12th I have a soft spot for Pollini/Viena
I'm curious about your opinion of Horowitz/Giulini in 23...
It's great. It was one of Jed's picks.