Customer Reviews

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 21 & 24

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

 

 

Piotr Anderszewski's tempos are moderate and flexible, there is plenty of blood-stirring excitement, and the recorded sound is gorgeous. He and the Sinfonia Varsovia bring out the written lines with an amazing contrapuntal clarity. There are more things to notice each time one listens to this, and the tone is unfailingly beautiful even in the most agitated passages.

Why didn't I give this five stars? There are a couple of problems here, and both ultimately lead back to a lack of spontaneity.

(1) The piano and orchestral lines here are SO richly detailed, the contrasts of mood and tempo so extreme and sudden, that these don't sound (to me) like real performances as much as carefully-prepared and assembled passages from multiple sessions. This is especially noticeable whenever the piano entrances IMMEDIATELY dispel the prevaling mood, bringing a breathless hush to the room, or a sudden surge of excitement...the air feels different, and the spirit of performance seems to jump in discrete motions rather than flowing. Even a very fast transition of mood (a few seconds) would be OK, showing a real-time flow as the musicians adjust to the changes in the music; it's the sudden stair-step jumps of NO transition that are disturbing. The astonishing clarity of texture is wonderful, along with the thoughtful presentation of every note, sure. But the music also has to have more flow: more like a stage play (all one take) than a film made of quick camera cuts and close-ups. Anderszewski's abrupt shifts keep the listener perpetually off balance and encourage a short attention span; it's more like watching television than listening to Mozart. At least the C major concerto here has more flow than the C minor concerto does, and it sounds more real.

(2) The lack of improvisation in the piano part leaves some serious gaps. Mozart wrote these concertos for his own use, they were not published during his lifetime, and he did not write down all the notes; the piano part is a sketch, enough information for his own semi-extemporized performances. He premiered K467 (C major) in a 1785 concert that also included entirely-improvised piano music showing off a new "especially large" instrument. K491 (C minor) was for Lent the next year. Anderszewski is too literal. He contributes interesting and appropriate cadenzas, yes, since Mozart didn't write any; but he doesn't play basso continuo (I miss that exciting percussive crunch), and more crucially he doesn't complete Mozart's melodic lines in the places where the notation is only a sketch. At various places Mozart wrote only the low and high notes, and the player is supposed to improvise or otherwise devise appropriate passagework through those turn-around points, continuing the patterns from the preceding bars. Anderszewski merely hits these isolated notes, ping, PING, ping!, and the music sounds startlingly empty, like seeing a portrait of somebody familiar but missing a few teeth. One of the most obvious passages in this regard is at the piano's exit into tutti, just before the first-movement cadenza in the C minor concerto. I compared this against my other recordings: Clifford Curzon, Glenn Gould (studio and live), John Gibbons, Malcolm Bilson. All of those players devise naturally-flowing passagework, different solutions from one another, while Anderszewski abruptly shatters the mood with his empty pings.

In brief, there's too much control here, not enough natural music or sense of occasion. (Well, that sentence sounds harsh, so let me try again....) This disc is a "must-hear" anyway, despite those reservations about spontaneity. The felicitous detail that Anderszewski brings out, both in the orchestra and the piano articulation, is astonishing. And there are moments of exquisite magic and grace. All those good points ALMOST offset the lack of sparkle. 4.3 stars out of five?

This is a CD well worth owning. Anderszewski gives a particularly brilliant performance of concerto No. 24. He puts all of the vibrancy and gusto we expect from him in this brilliant Mozart concerto. The outer movements are played boldly, but for the slow movement we get beautifully and sensitive playing.

His interpretation of No. 21 is not quite as satisfying. Others extract more beauty and refinement out of the first movement in particular. The opening could be a little more laid back and quiet, but there are no complaints in general.

Of particular interest are the cadenzas Anderszewski has written. Although they may not be conventional 19th century cadenzas, they are very enjoyable, particularly in the opening movt of No. 24. The opening movement cadenza in No. 21 (Not the initial extemoporisation as the piano enters) is quite amusing - it's Beethoven Diabelli Variations through and through.

The recorded sound is good, and balance between piano and orchestra also very good. A highly recommended disc.

Once the pianism of Piotr Anderszewski is experienced it is contagious! His technique is flawless and his approach to the masters is refreshing in bringing a new stance to works well known to us. And to his gifts of pianistic craft he adds the role of conducting the orchestra from the keyboard. Not that this is revolutionary by any means: this technique of performance goes back for centuries. Yet it is always reassuring when the pianist understands a concerto score so well that he can transmit that knowledge in an intelligent way to a group of musicians.

On this CD Piotr Anderszewski plays and conducts the Sinfonia Varsovia in Mozart's concerti numbers 21 and 24. The result is a sparkling, clearly defined approach to each work, and a strong balance between the piano and the orchestral conversation. There are no major surprises here as there often are in his live performances, but the results are solid, top notch additions to the large volume of recordings of these works. AND Anderszewski gives evidence of being a very fine conductor at this early point in his career. Recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

The standard of technical excellence among professional pianists these days is so uniformally high that it is becoming increasingly difficult to pinpoint the occasional genius. Over the last couple of years Piotr Anderszewski has by some been proclaimed as one, and finding myself disappointed with his Carnegie Hall recital, which for reasons I can't altogether define left me completely cold, I turned my gaze towards his Mozart, which fortunately turned out to be a very different experience.

There can be no disputing that Mr. Anderszewski is a pianist of extraordinary talent, and nowhere is this more obviously apparent than in these two celebrated concertos. A crystalline lightness of touch reminiscent of Murray Perahia (concerto No. 21) somehow blends with a searching introspection (concerto No. 24) that causes Sir Clifford Curzon - on a good day - to leap to mind. Every detail is "done and seen to be done", as the old saying about justice goes, and nowhere does Anderszewski - in charge of the orchestra as well - leave the music sounding either jammy or overly intellectualised. Having recently had the dubious pleasure of reviewing the C major concerto in recordings by Stefan Vladar (and Christian Zacharias before that) I can only emphasize that Andante, in this case at least, really does mean "walking slowly", and for this one Anderszewski conjures up the exact proper dreamy quality, while at the same time making the C minor concerto sound grave and brave - like something, in fact, that might have inspired Beethoven to write his concerto in the same key, which it did. This, combined with a recording that is at the same time warm, spacious, and scrupulously detailed, makes this disc a must for all who love the Mozart concertos - and deep down, who doesn't.

Various reviewers have voiced some concerns regarding the rather romantic quality of the interpretations, which is not entirely unwarranted. However, in my opinion at least, Anderszewski - unlike some of his illustrious predecessors (Horowitz and Michelangeli, to name but two) - brings it off sounding neither contrived nor anachronistic. And let's face it: if any of Mozart's concertos should be able to incorporate a bit of romantic heart-on-sleeve, these two (and No. 20) are first rate candidates.

Anderszewski's disc of the concertos Nos. 17 and 20 (Virgin 0946 344696 2 3) is warmly recommended as well.

Meanwhile underneath the streets of Paris, the high command of SPECTRE is meeting (Sinister Period-Practice Enacted to Counter Traditional Readings Everlastingly). Chairing the meeting is Ernst Hogwood-Blofeld, the head of the nefarious organisation. On his lap sits the infamous Mister Bigglesworth, the moggy with attitude.

"We will now hear from the regional chiefs, starting with Number 2."

"In the twilight of my career," the man croaked, "I enlisted with SPECTRE. There are more Mozart concertos coming to market Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante & Concerto for Flute and Horn Concertos Nos 1-4 with some symphonies in train Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 39 & 40. They are virtually unlistenable and they're boring to boot."

"Well done Number 2. In my earlier days when I was working my way up the ranks in SPECTRE, I recorded them too. Your versions are far more lifeless. We will now turn our attention to the Berlin station and Number 3."

A luminary with a man perm and a smirk piped up nervously.

"We've been quiet recently Number 1, as EMI has finally worked out that they're losing money on us - hence the switch to the Berlin Philharmonic's Digital Concert Hall. The survey of Symphonies 88 - 92 set Haydn's cause back ten years Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 88-92; Sinfonia Concertante. I do not want to rest on my laurels here at SPECTRE but they continue to irradiate the composer in the minds of the public. Better still, at my behest Number 7 Trevor Pinnock and Number 13 Ton Koopman recently conducted the Berlin Philharmonic. In the old days under the successive 007s, such fixtures would never have occurred."

Number 2 winced at this point.

"Well done, Number 3. Even Mister Bigglesworth gets narky whenever I play your Haydn in the Bentley. We will now turn our attention to the Head of the Warsaw Station, Number 58."

A youngish gentleman cleared his throat.

"So Number 1, you have finally heard my performances of K 491 and K 467. What do you think?"

Hogwood-Blofeld pursed his lips.

"Number 58, I congratulate you for your clipped phrasing. It leaches so much of the vitality from the works. It is the hallmark of SPECTRE. I also thoroughly appreciated the use of a solo violin in the first movement of K 491 when our enemies, following the score, use the full deck. Indeed, I had never heard it before. It was a triumph of miniaturisation."

Number 1 placed his hand on a level.

"Our expectations, however, were considerably higher. SPECTRE is a fraternity whose strength lies in the integrity of its members."

Mister Bigglesworth hissed at Number 58.

"You played the entire first movement of K 491 at super pianissimo." The head of SPECTRE rumbled. "Not only is that hyper-romantic, it is also affected. We too have standards at SPECTRE. Romanticism also rears its ugly head in the slow movement of K 467. If you cannot decide whether you are for us or against us, it is time for you to go."

Number 1 threw the lever forward and the hapless Number 58 disappeared in a blaze of fire.

"We will now discuss the Norrington Project in Stuttgart."

So far as I know, the first notable musician to rebel against the beauty of Mozart's music was Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who produced shocking performaances in the Eighties of nakedly aggressive Mozart replete with unmarked accents, violent attacks, and (in the operas) nasty personages onstage.

The brilliant Polish pianist Piotr Anderszewski has learned some lessons at the master's knee, apparently. The opening of the C minor concerto is gruff and tough--every accent in the orchestral tutii is blown up into an angry outburst. Yet when the piano enters, it creeps in on tiny, timid feet, providing a stark and frankly ludicrous contrast.

Harnoncourt had more courage in his convictions, however, and Anderszewski can't quite keep up the lion-and-mouse game. There's much beautiful playing here, and although he minces a bit self-consciously thorugh the slow movements of obth concertos, his ability to shape a lyrical line can't help but prove mesmerizing. There's no arguing over taste here. The Amazon reviewer finds the same qualities daring, risky, and exciting. I think they're arbitrary and unnecessary. Even so, I won't back off my previous judgment, having heard Anderszewski live on two occasions, that he is a rare musician and a poet at the keyboard.