Customer Reviews

Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas / Ronald Brautigam

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These recordings have changed my opinion of Mozart's sonatas. Brautigam uses a copy of a 1795 fortepiano with spectacular results. The attack of this instrument is much more defined, which makes these pieces come alive. His tempos are fast, which adds to the energy and excitement of these performances. Recording quality is superb, and the price is a true value. I used to think Mozart's sonatas were sluggish and not of the same caliber of much of his other compositions (Haydn's sonatas seemed to sparkle in comparison). With this set, I have changed my mind... truly first class.

These performances are probably not to all tastes. Speeds are often very aggressive and the piano sound percussive and exciting, not qualities often associated with Mozart. Still, there are moments of great beauty here and the playing never sacrifices expressiveness for the sake of virtuosity. Brautigam is even better in his excellent Haydn series, and many may find his generally brisk approach easier to accept with Haydn. This is my first choice for these pieces, and if you appreciate the pre-Beethovenian aspects of Mozart's style you will not be disappointed.

I was sick of hearing the feeble, watered down Mozart of the likes of Perahia and Uchida, and wow! along comes Brautigam and blows all that Dresden china into smithereens. Not to say his playing is lacking in poetry or finesee. Far from it. But the music lives and breaths under Brautigam's fingers in a way that makes Uchida et al sound turgid. At last! we can hear those wonderfully dynamic bass parts Mozart wrote for the left hand and instead of a muddy boom we get a sparkling interplay of musical line. I love the entire set!! Humour, wit, fire, impetuosity, grace, beauty, feeling - it's all here. I'm sure Mozart himself would've approved. THIS was the instrument Mozart composed for, a Walter fortepiano, and its response to the music is sheer delight.

Now we want to have Brautigam playing the concertos with Pinnock and the English Concert!!

A great combination of a musican, instrument and recording quality. You will never hear a fortepiano sound so full-bodied, and Brautigam has the just right talent: an astonishing tonal palette. Sometimes in a repeat, he'll alter the dynamics at an almost imperceptible level of difference and maintain it with perfect consistency. Clearly his remarkable instrument is a godsend or his touch would be wasted. Unlike what usually happens when someone sets out to record a complete set, Brautigam always establishes a unique character for each movement and sticks with it. Given his intensity and breadth of expression, his Mozart is - as a previous reviewer insightfully characterized it - "pre-Beethovenian."

I own at least two complete recordings of these sonatas on modern pianos and numerous recording of individual sonatas on both modern and period instruments; moreover I was fortunate enough to hear a complete traversal of them in live performance during the 2006 Mozart birthday year. In short, I thought I knew these works pretty well, but Brautigam's performances have been a revelation: they are crisp & clear and reveal details I'd never heard before; there is grace and beauty here that could move one to tears. Musically and sonically (hats off to BIS!) this is a stunning set - to be returned to often. This, surely, is Mozart as Mozart would have wished to hear it.

You can find my review about Complete Sonatas & Variations which contains this set too. I didn't want to duplicate my post.