Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Benjamin Britten, Istvan Kertesz :: Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 20, 23, 24, 26 & 27

Great recordings

05/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Decca has wisely chosen Curzon's recordings of these Mozart concertos for reissue in their "Legends" series. Nos. 20 and 27 with Britten and the English Chamber Orchestra are absolutely classic, nos. 23 and 24 with Kertesz and the London Symphony hardly less so. Curzon was at his best in Mozart. His playing is stylish, elegant, and expressive within the context of Mozart's period, without exaggeration or idiosyncrasy. The sound is excellent and has been successfully remastered. The only snag is that no. 26 is split between the two CDs, but since this is the least popular of these concertos anyway this probably won't matter all that much. Highly recommended, and a tremendous bargain at this price (I paid almost this much a few years back just for these recordings of concertos nos. 20 and 27!)."

A treasured musical file!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 10/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The whole story of the composers-conductors have not been written may be well considered unfinished if the name of Britten is not included. His approach in what Mozart concerns is a fact worthy of the best and sincere epithets. He added these Piano Concerts not only elegance, cram, noblesse but also aristocracy and refinement.



So when the imaginative melodic flight of Britten converges with the wisdom innocence of Sir Clifford Curzon -one of the few artists who "made sing" the piano- (Wilhelm Kempff was the genuine master in this field), the result is a true enraptured and inspired Mozart, because as the Great Genius, Mozart 's significance is major by what suggests instead by the expressed.



I should remark the special relevance of this CD because both works mean somehow, the alpha and omega of the best set of Concerts of Wolfgang Amadeus: the 20th is to my mind, the most complete and profound of all Mozart piano Concertos. It possesses humor, innocence, tragedy and redemption; all the mythic cycle expressed in thirty minutes.

"The brevity is the soul of the cleverness"



Absolutely recommended.



"

Great straightforward Mozart

Paul S. | Oakland, California | 11/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These recordings predate today's fads of inserting lots of flashy embellishments, inventing new (usually prolix) cadenzas, imitating the limitations of a pianoforte, accellerating tempi, and producing sparkling Mozart Lite. All Curzon delivers is outstanding playing with plenty of feeling but no fussiness. Curzon knew better than most musicians how to play slow music so it comes across as deep rather than boring, so he doesn't rush the slow movements as so many performers do. He plays the usual Beethoven cadenzas in #20.



All 5 performances are polished to perfection; and the recorded sound, while not state of the art, is very good for its time (1967 - 1970). I respectfully disagree with the reviewer who finds the piano too faint; if anything, the widespread vice of making the solo instrument too prominent in concerto recordings has been rather narrowly avoided.



So don't buy this set to revolutionize your view of Mozart. Buy it for great playing, full of delightful subtleties."