Customer Reviews

Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 2

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This is an inexpensive way to get five concertos by two great Mozarteans: Brendel and Marriner. The recordings are from their much-lauded cycle dating from the 70s and early 80s. These are great performances, and this release includes Brendel's compelling 9 and his nonpareil 15.

This recording of 9 is my all-time favorite, surpassing even the marvelous Ashkenazy/Kertesz (London). In 15, perfect tempos and perfectly judged phrasing, along with the superb orchestral accompaniment, make this one simply unbeatable. II is exceptionally beautiful. At 1:49, where the strings take over the melody and the piano plays arpeggios, it's just gorgeous beyond belief. No other recording of this moves me more. I can find nothing wrong with Brendel's 22, but here he doesn't smile as much as Barenboim (EMI) and Ashkenazy (London). It's worth mentioning that 22 is split between the two discs.

25 is the only concerto from this cycle with Marriner that was recorded live. It's a barnburner and Brendel is superb throughout. You'll never guess it's live until III, where it becomes quite obvious. Two more great 25s are Barenboim (EMI) and Ashkenazy (London). Brendel is graceful in 27 and the Academy plays wonderfully. But my favorite here is Serkin/Abbado (DG), which, for me, yields the best blend of sunlight and darkness in this reflective piece. Also not to be missed is the almost miraculous performance by Emil Gilels with Karl Böhm and the Vienna Philharmonic. There is also the very fine recording by Daniel Barenboim on EMI.

There is a companion to this release on Philips that includes five more Mozart concertos: Brendel's fabulous 19 and 23 along with 20, 21 and 24. If you like this cycle, you can always go for the complete set of concertos by Brendel and Marriner (Philips 422 507), like I eventually did.
Cheers,
Murray

With his 27 piano concertos, Mozart developed the form to a new level of artistry and claimed dominion of the new musical genre. The first seven concertos resulted from early composition exercises from his father converting Baroque sonatas to concerto form (most not-so-special). The first truly-original piano concerto No. 5 was composed at age 17 and No.'s 14-27 are all considered mature and monumental with anything in the 20's truly magnificant. Even works as early as No. 9 "Jeunehomme" (composed for a female French student, Mlle. Jeunehomme, perhaps a love interest) reveal an uncharacteristic maturity, depth of beauty and perfection of form for such a young composer. While most of the 27 concertos are sunny and galante, the two minor-key concertos (No. 20 & 24 on Volume I) reveal Mozart's evolution into more personal, dramatic expression - foreshadowing the Romantic era ushered in part by Beethoven. However, by the late 1780's, the fickle Vieneese who were "so done" with his music, leading to Mozart's demise. Late in Mozart's life there appeared to be a "new phase" of introspection and simplicity as seen in the poignant last Concerto #27 (along with his last chamber works). But this was sadly cut short by his early death in 1791.

These readings by Brendel and Marriner are alive with enthusiasm, warmth, and the typical Brendel precision. The balance of the piano and orchestra is perfect and allow the drama to unfold unhindered. Along with Murray Perahia's and Andras Schiff's complete cycles, Brendel's performances of Mozart's piano concertos are considered - on the whole - to be at the top of the list overall. Highlights in Vol. II here must certainly be the simple beauty and chamber-like feel of Concerto No. 9 "Jeunehomme," the sparkling No. 22 (K.482) and the poignant "swansong" concerto, No. 27 (K. 595). Where volume II features these two more subdued concertos of immense tenderness (no timpani or trumpets), Volume I contains the powerfully emotive, crowd-pleasing D-minor and C-minor concertos No. 20, 24 - along with the famous and bubbly C-major concerto. Both volumes are essential listening, but that much might guide your first purchase if you can only get one set.

The six works on these two CD's (along with those of the sister set) are among the most skillfully composed, musically appealing and rightfully popular of Mozart's 27 piano concertos (hence the term, "Great Concertos"). Both sets received the highest Penguin Guide rating (Rosette) and are an official "Recommended Recording." Nice compliment. Additionally, Gramophone says "this set can be recommended without any reservations." The sound quality/balance is good but not best-in-class but the value is excellent.

For those who like the sound of a Mozart-era fortepiano and more "period performances," there is a splendid 9-CD "complete" set of Mozart's piano concertos (no.'s 5-27) by Malcolm Bilson and the English Baroque Soloists w/ Sir John Gardiner conducting that is both top-notch music and a super value on DG. For modern perfomances, Murray Perahia's legendary complete set has been remastered for superior sound by Sony and ranks as a top choice.

This 2-CD set, which contains 5 of Mozart's most famous piano concertos, is absolutely superb! From opening to closing measure of every selection, pianist Alfred Brendel and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner, team up to establish a splendid musical dialog. Brendel is a wonderful interpreter and player of Mozart's music; I found him to be particularly expressive in Concerto No. 9 (The "Jeunehomme") - one of my favorites. Each concerto is sheer magic from start to finish. For lovers of Mozart's piano concertos, this, and its companion "The Great Piano Concertos, Volume 1," are THE CDs to own!

Alfred Brendel's place as an interpreter of the Viennese Classic repertory is by now unassailable, and his recordings of the Mozart Piano Concertos are a prime example of his art. His lean, focused sound can strike a listener as insufficiently sensuous in Romantic repertory, but against the backdrop of an orchestra, it seems a perfect modern equivalent of the eighteenth-century fortepiano, so much so that I don't really miss having an "authentic" instrument. Besides, discarding recordings such as these on the basis of inauthenticity would deny all listeners the chance to experience Brendel's practically infallible sense of style and taste.

Perhaps the real surprise in this collection of five concertos is that Brendel is at his most relaxed and insightful in the E-flat major Concerto, K. 482, which in most critical canons occupies a slightly lower place than the works which come before and after it. Mozart's warm-hearted and colorfully orchestrated (clarinets instead of the usual oboes) piece brings out an equivalent and unexpected playfulness of dynamic and rhythm in the pianist's irresistible reading, with profuse but always appropriate ornamentation in the rondo, and intriguing, stylish original cadenzas for the first and last movements. Incidentally, the same virtues hold for all of Brendel's emendations to Mozart's original notes in these pieces; in this he is decidely superior to Ashkenazy in his Mozart concerto recordings. (The one drawback of this entire set is that the inclusion of five concertos necessitates splitting K. 482 between the first and second CDs.)

It is only by these exalted standards that the performances of K. 271, the dashing "Jeunehomme," pushing the boundaries of standard concerto form with its unexpected piano interjections at the outset, and the Olympian K. 503 come off as slightly stiffer and less attuned to the finest nuance; however, the latter performance was recorded live and astonishes with its digital clarity, the concluding roar of applause being amply justified.

Brendel's collaborators, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields with Neville Marriner, supply exemplary accompaniments, notwithstanding some slight inaccuracies in the live K. 503 and, more surprisingly, K. 595. One hopes these recordings will be available for a long time to come.

These disks are an absolute treasure. Utterly convincing interpretations by a superb musician. The concertos are almost beyond music--full to overflowing with ideas, serene, joyous, passionate, and tragic by turns, they are endlessly interesting and listenable. Drop everything and get both volumes. You won't be sorry.

Mozart is the greatest composer of all times...and his best works are his late piano concertos...Brendel is one of the best Mozart performer of all times (in my opinion)...The combination of this situation gives us a great recording...And the orchestra...Academy of St. Martin in the Fields...They are the most experienced orchestra about Mozart.Because Phillips had an engagement with this orchestra to record Mozart's complete works...They have the Mozart soul...Everything is wonderful about this recording...but there is only one problem...we can't say that it is a real problem but there is a wrong note played by Brendel in 22nd concerto's 2nd part during the 5th minute...
well if we look at the whole performance everything makes me forget about this wrong note...it is the one you have to get ...you Can't go wrong if you buy the combination of Mozart and Brendel and ofcourse the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields...

Should Mozart be played for beauty's sake? This is a question that one will be forced to ask when listening to any interpretation of the composer. There is so much elegance and grace in his music that we will need to decide whether or not these are the qualities we want to be stressed. Alfred Brendel and Neville Marriner are certainly an interesting pair, both of them having played Mozart before coming together. I find them sharing the same vision in Mozart, at least for the most part. It's one that eschews any mannerisms or the slightest trace of sentimentality, to the point of sometimes avoiding sentiment, or missing out on the warmth in the works. It would be unfair to accuse them of just playing the notes, though, as they both have a sensitivity that goes beyond mere technical aspects of the work. Brendel in particular seems to be speaking of deep and profound things. You have to admire the dedication, nay allegiance, these musicians have to the scores they play.

But does their devotion cause them to play too safe? I hesitate to say yes, given their musical excellence, but there's no way around the fact that they remain in their seats when they could be transporting us to other worlds. If Brendel were the only musician involved, I would be much more sympathetic, but I find Marriner's ASMF to be stodgy; they're unwilling to take any risks. I'm always reluctant to judge Marriner in this way, simply because the result of what he's doing is obviously intentional, as he once said the goal of his Academy was to achieve a maximum of virtuosity "with a minimum of fuss". They succeed gloriously in their efforts, but I think what he calls "fuss" is often what I want him to give. When Brendel is speaking of religious things, I don't find Marriner to be on the same level. But both of them could be called intellectual performers, and they're not very worried about the emotional effect of what they're playing. I find Brendel to be a brighter star in this world than Marriner, but it's clear that they get along.

In closing, this is a dream disc for all Brendel and Marriner fans. But the rest of us may find it too dry expressively. The choice is up to you the listener. Despite my reservations, there's nothing inferior about this kind of playing and there are some who, for good reason, will go into raves.

See my review for Vol. 1 of 'The Great' Piano Concertos. All the same stuff applies.

Great performances by a great pianist of great classical music. What more could you ask for?

It is said that Mozart brought the piano concerto to maturity. If you listen to these, you will ponder how a piano conerto could get any better. If I had to choose one composer to listen to for the rest of my life, it would be Mozart. I can't recommend this enough to anyone who likes (or thinks they might like) classical music.

We purchased both this and Vol 1 of the same for my daughter who has returned to college to earn her PHd. She loves Mozart and uses it as background music while she does here studies.

If you love Mozart you will really enjoy this CD. In my opinion Sir Neville Marriner & the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields performs Mozart better than any other. The only problem I have with this CD is some tracks on the first CD are recorded live. I have never been a big fan of live recordings. An occasional cough is heard on track 4 which makes me cringe. If only they passed out cough drops that evening I would have awarded this CD five stars. Otherwise the music is simply sublime. Robitussin anyone?