Customer Reviews

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 18 & 20

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

 

 

Answer: about 200 mph, in the third movement of the D minor. At 6:52, Goode may have set a record for this track: he shaves almost a minute off Curzon's time, and beats even Bilson by over half a minute. The slow movement likewise is the fastest I know of, which costs it some of its depth, and sounds almost as staccato as if it were played on a pianoforte.
But if your fondness for lively Mozart extends to allowing an allegro assai to be played quasi prestissimo, you're going to love this disc. The D minor is energized not only by fast tempi but by pointed accents and impassioned playing. The unusually detailed CD notes explain that the D minor was composed around the time Mozart wrote Don Giovanni; evidently an opera buffa style was emulated here. Despite the fast pace, the players stay on top of the music, with a great deal of nuance and only a few, very slight lapses of precision (it is the clarity of this recording that tattles on them). Goode uses Beethoven's cadenza in the first movement; in the finale, he offers a terse, refreshing and brilliant cadenza of his own (none of the wallowing in the spotlight that characterizes too many self-composed cadenzas).
The Concerto #18 receives a less notable performance, straightforward and polished.

a wonderful performance. goode is excellent, especially on no. 20. the playing is strong, perhaps too strong for those who like the romantic approach.

This is a beautiful performance of Mozart's 20th and 18th piano concertos, one of those records that changed my perception of how Mozart concertos could be played. I had grown up listening to Barenboim and Gulda playing these works (my mom's record collection), and this is entirely in a different league. Well, `different league' makes it sounds as if it somehow invalidates the other, older versions. That's not really it. But the playing and recording quality are delightfully superior in this modern version. Goode, an American pianist, plays these concertos energetically, and with a very Viennese `lightness' that seems wholly appropriate to the material. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the famous `conductor-less' group from New York, seems an ideal pairing for this material. I love their complete Mozart Wind Concertos, and this seems to confirm their knack for Mozart concertos. I believe this disc could get anyone excited about Mozart's piano works. Maybe that's a bit of wishful thinking, but do give it a try :)

What a wonderful combination of great artists, Mozart, Goode, and Orpheus! Nothing could be better. Mozart is a genius, Goode is one of the finest musicians alive, and Orpheus is the greatest chamber orchestra in the world!!