Mozart: Piano Concertos no 8, 23 & 24 / Wilhelm Kempff [Import]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Ferdinand Leitner (Conductor), Bamberg Symphony Chorus (Orchestra), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Wilhelm Kempff (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Wilhelm Kempff
• Orchestra: Bamberg Symphony Chorus, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Ferdinand Leitner
• Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Audio CD (January 11, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Dg Imports
• ASIN: B000031WYK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,824 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Touchstone Recording, June 24, 2001

By 

Geoffrey P. Smith "opusposthum" (ATLANTA, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mozart: Piano Concertos no 8, 23 & 24 / Wilhelm Kempff (Audio CD)

This disc contains nearly 80 minutes of greatness. Two of Mozart's greatest piano concertos, a lesser known early opus, and this re-mastered material from the DG archives sounds better than yesterday! Those who know Kempff as a great interpreter of Beethoven will love his lyrical and supple playing on this recording. With so many choices in this reportoire, this would be a great place to start, and as always with DG 'Originals', the price is right. A terrific recording for Mozart lovers, seasoned and new.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars masterful performances by the master pianist, March 8, 2004

By 

Philip Y Ho (Markham, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mozart: Piano Concertos no 8, 23 & 24 / Wilhelm Kempff (Audio CD)

These are the greatest performances of Piano Concertos No.s 23 and 24 available. The outside movements of No. 23 never sounded more genial or hearbreakingly beautiful in the hands of Kempff, the first movement will leave you breathless! By contrast, the second movement is very sad, the intensity of which leaves other recordings by the likes of Perahia, Kovacevich, and Curzon distances behind.

No. 24 is an absolute winner, no other pianist captures the meaning of the piece like Kempff. Previously I had fell for the few nice touches by Perahia on the piece, but after hearing Kempff more closely, I realized that Perahia hardly scratched the surface of the piece when compared to Kempff (especially in the first movement). Kempff plays the second movement absolutely beautifully; although it is faster than some, he brings out all the magic in one of the most touching statements by Mozart. The final movement is played most disquietingly, with much more depth than ever I have heard.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime!, August 31, 2003

By 

T. Lum (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mozart: Piano Concertos no 8, 23 & 24 / Wilhelm Kempff (Audio CD)

This is by far the best recording of concertos nos. 23 & 24. In fact, this is one of the best recordings of any Mozart concerto. Ever. Kempff plays with effortless grace and deep feeling, perfectly capturing both the gaity and the pathos of Mozart's music. Leitner's accompaniment is superb. The remastered sound is very good. And it's at bargain price!

Also enthusiastically recommended is Rudolf Serkin's magnificent recording of concertos nos. 17, 19, & 20, with Alexander Schneider and George Szell, on a mid-price Sony set called "Legendary Interpretations".