Customer Reviews

Mozart: Concerto Nos. 21 & 24

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
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This is an outstanding reissue by Sony Classical. The rich precise Szell sound is unmatched by any orchestra in any time period and Casadesus intreprets Mozart with grace and wit.

There are numerous accounts of the famous Elvira Madigan concerto, so called because the second movement is featured in the movie, but this vintage performance is as fine as any, with Casadesus absolutely sparkling at the keyboard and Szell providing crisp, energetic backup. This is one of the sunniest pieces of music ever written, it will brighten up almost any mood, and at bargain price (and including a very fine version of the less well known Concerto No. 24) this is tough to beat.

Two of Mozart's greatest and most popular piano concertos, Nos. 21 and 24, are combined in this reissue of a classic 1961 recording made by French pianist Robert Casadesus with the Cleveland Orchestra and the legendary if sometimes intemperate conductor George Szell. No. 21 is performed brilliantly by this triple combination; and Casadesus' playing, especially in the concerto's celebrated Andante (the one used in the 1967 Swedish film ELVIRA MADIGAN [hence this concerto's nickname]), is absolutely exquisite.

The 24th concerto in C Minor, the only one besides the 20th (in D Minor) to be in a minor key, is one of Mozart's most turbulent works, and uses the largest number of orchestral players of any of the concertos (even trombones are used here). This, however, daunts neither Casadesus nor Szell, as they and the Cleveland Orchestra power themselves through this stormy and dramatic Mozart masterpiece.

This recording is very strongly recommended for classical music lovers in general, and Mozart lovers in particular.

Casadesus was one of the most expressive pianists in any age. He had a deep sense of comittment and secret rapport with the composer . This statement works out specially for Mozart , Ravel , Beethoven and Chopin.
Both of these Mozart concerts are superb played filled with inspiration and deep musicality.
But I like to recomend specially an old recording I found in an antiques store in Caracas in 1990 in vynil.
The recording is from 1947, (Columbia Records)in which Casadesus gives THE MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE OF THE MOZART 21 TH CONCERT.
Imagine the incredible surprise and powerful combination : the aristocratic Charles Munch conducting the New York Philarmonic. I can't explain why the Sony Record hasn't made a transfer on CD of this unforgettable and historical recording.
Meanwhile the 21 of this CD is an extraordinary achievement : but believe me it never reachs the peak of that one. I really hope that this review can be obtained by any important important executive of Sony Records. It would be a wonderful treasure for the mankind!.

At ten bucks this disc is overpriced--I got the whole three-disc set on Sony's Legendary Interpretations series for about $15. So my first advice is if you want these performances look for them used--they should be plentiful and about $5, or look for leftovers of the Legendary Interpretations 3-disc set for about the price of this disc new. As for the performances, they are fine and well-considered, though not quite definitive. There are many great K. 467s out there--one of my favorites is Brendel/Marriner, and it's in far better sound to boot. If you want DDD, DG also has a very fine recording in Pires/Abbado that also features a stunning No. 17 in G Major--that disc is a must-own. As for the C minor, my favorite of Mozart's piano concertos, this is a fairly great performance, almost there, but somehow lacking that last bit of commitment from the soloist. Things aren't aided by the gray sound either. (The remastering is decent, but the sound was never great with these Columbia late-50s recordings to begin with, even allowing for the time: there's just too much hiss to get rid of it all, and the highs are undefined.) Still, there are many lovely moments to savor. Both Szell and Casadesus manage to get the emotional turmoil and majesty across without summoning a Romantic (and inapprpriate) interpretation. The Cleveland Orchestra is in marvelous form, playing with the tautness and yet expressivity Szell always summoned from them. They manage to sound a bit Viennese! If you've never heard either Szell or Mozart's PCs this might be a great place to start, but I'd seriously scour used sources first to get that three-disc Legendary Interpretations set, which also has the 22, 23, 25 and 27 concerti (the 22 and 27 in particular are real standouts) as well as the concerto for two pianos, K. 365 with Gaby Casadesus and Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra (a tad too romantic for my tastes here, but you may disagree). If you can't find that set, then settle for this--with regrets.