Mozart: Piano Concertos 8 & 9

The downside to using Christian Zacharias' set as my first entry of Mozart's Piano Concertos on this blog, comes with Jerzy Maksymiuk and the Polish Chamber Orchestra.

They are just too harsh and heavy sounding, and that is coming from a listener who prefers modern instruments in Mozart. I would call them leaden, but they aren't slow, just weighty sounding. Plus, the Eastern Europeans here are not the most consistent ensemble as far as abilities and tone go.

This really effects Piano Concerto no. 8 in C Major particularly, as it is a rather gentle, clear-textured work. The final movement is played stylishly by Zacharias and Co. however, and I generally like the Polish orchestra's balance of winds. As with the two previous early piano concertos, K175 and K238, Alfred Brendel and Sir Neville Marriner's recording from the 80s breathe life into this early work, generally preferable to what is here.

If I have little to say regarding Mozart's K246, Piano Concerto no. 9 in E-flat Major is an absolute stunner!

As a fully mature work, you can sense the composer's growth in a number of ways. The interactions and conversations between piano and orchestra are strong in No. 9, and the way Mozart separates the winds from merely doubling to allowing them to occasionally do their own thing, is noticeable. The concerto is considerably longer too, where the concerto as whole sounds like a complete picture and is plain meatier overall.

Perhaps it is the c-minor key, but the middle-movement Andantino reminds me as a pre-cursor to Beethoven. This is Mozart at his most emotionally effusive thus far, and I could see it being an instant favorite of many. I am not sure these performers get to the bottom of this music either; I could imagine it throbbing much more than it does here. So too, the sturdy Minuet in the finale seems a tad buttoned-up. I would search out Geza Anda in K271 for its finest airing out.

I admire Christian Zacharias' set of Mozart piano concertos though; otherwise I wouldn't have started with it on this blog, but these are low points for sure. Yet as I said in my first entry, Zacharias is never less than very good, and that is just what we get here.

Listen on YouTube

Works
Piano Concerto 8 in C Major, K246 (23.06)
Piano Concerto 9 in E-flat Major, K271 (32.29)

Soloists
Christian Zacharias, piano

Performers
Polish Chamber Orchestra
Jerzy Maksymiuk, conductor

Label: EMI
Year: 1984-88

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