At the bottom of this post, I will include the film from Peter Gelb at the occasion of this recording.
What you can tell is Vladimir Horowitz has an lively, engaging twinkle in his eye. The Milanese players are eager to hear tale from the pianist. Everyone is having the time of their lives...
Except Giulini. Watch him scowl throughout. Apparently, Giulini was unhappy with the tempos Horowitz wished to take, and I am sure other inconveniences.
If you just listen to the audio recording, none of these backstage anecdotes rear their head; the performance from the La Scala Theatre Orchestra is lovely. Only in the video and in reading transcripts from folks at this recording event does any drama become exposed.
No, this isn't the finest Piano Concerto no. 23 in A Major on record, but it is charming and lively. Horowitz opts for the Ferruccio Busoni cadenza, which will irk some, but I find amusing.
So too, Mozart's Piano Sonata no. 13 in B-flat Major contains more Romanticisms than many are used to. The dynamics are a little more extreme, and the music ends up bigger than it needs to be. An old-fashioned take on Mozart which no one will fault Horowitz for.
But who cares. Here is Vladimir Horowitz towards the end of his life doing what he loves most. Sure most of us will remember him for his big takes on Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, but Mozart is so much more demanding beyond technique; it is a personal essay, and this is what Horowitz wishes to share with his listeners.
A review from 2022
This is a beautiful performance of Mozart’s 23rd Piano Concerto. It is not metronomical, not mere note spinning, not precious nor prettified, with no musical wallpaper in sight. Vladimir Horowitz has an unabashed Romantic view - I couldn’t imagine the 2nd movement having a more yearning, soul-stirring atmosphere, and it is great!
DG puts Horowitz’s piano well in front of the orchestra, although we hear Giulini’s La Scala orchestra just fine and their contribution is a lovely support for the piano. Seek out the Peter Gelb documentary of this performance on YouTube to see what a dour mood Giulini was in for this recording session, but despite his unhappiness, the orchestra sounds wonderful. It should be noted, Horowitz opts for Ferruccio Busoni's cadenza over the usual Mozart one.
I am not as familiar with Mozart’s piano sonatas, although the final movement is quite familiar to me. It seems Horowitz’s extremes are more apparent here without the orchestra, particularly his aggressive bass. I could see this annoying some, but pleasing others - for me it was just fine. It is interesting to hear a master coming to Mozart late in life, after a career most famous for his Rachmaninov, among others.
Otherwise, this is a very fine disc of Mozart, particularly the Piano Concerto for me, and assuming you are on board with Horowitz’s outlook. I doubt this recording holds water nowadays with the historical-practice pirates, but I think it is grand all the same.
Listen on YouTube
Works
Piano Concerto 23 in A Major, K. 488 (23.47)
Piano Sonata 13 in B-flat Major, K. 333 (26.24)
Soloists
Vladimir Horowitz, piano
Performers
La Scala Theatre Orchestra
Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor
Label: DG
Year: 1987
Total Timing: 50.11
No, I don't hold this recording in the highest of echelons. This is more of a cultural event I enjoy revisiting, I think.
Vladimir Horowitz at the keyboard... playing Mozart... in 1986... in Milan...
We were all excited. Except Giulini.
Find more Mozart recordings HERE!
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