Mozart: Piano Concerto 20 & 21

 

Fame precedes the two concertos paired together here. Good timing, for Christian Zacharias tended to be at his very best with a pre-bearded David Zinman at the orchestral helm.

Piano Concerto no. 20 in d minor is notable for its moody key, the first of Mozart's piano concertos to be set in minor. The minor mode affords pianists a range of approaches to this music, and I won't pretend to hide the fact I enjoy the feeling of dark portents and swirling menace.

The first movement is curious for its opening mood setting, aided by the motoric rhythms, delaying the launch right into the thematic dance of sonata-allegro form. Only a contrasting subject halts the flowing motion forward, yet Mozart always returns with an appreciated underlying current.

Conversely, the following movement is rather prim and proper, although the firm melody is full of charm and grace, reminding this listener of a gentler Harmonious Blacksmith. The third movement returns to minor-keyed moodiness, book-ending a terrific concerto. Both of the last two movements allow the piano to open without orchestra, and I love this effect from Mozart when he chooses to use it.

Zacharias is generally more poetic than aggressive, although I really like his forward-flowing attentions. Having the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra on hand is great, for the interactions between instruments and piano are excellent.

A note for listeners to this specific recording - about two-thirds of the way through the final movement of K. 466, a very short, but unmissable audio substitution was made - all of a sudden, a mono recording is substituted at a big cadence. Why is this something Zacharias and Zinman wanted to do? Odd is probably the best term I can come up with, and serious listeners may object to the choice.

As far as other recordings, Daniel Barenboim with the Berlin Philharmonic gives a strong portrayal, at least for those who don't mind their 20th to be roughly trod. If you don't object to monaural sound, Dino Ciani is singularly aggressive, and must be heard to believe.

The opening of Piano Concerto no. 21 in C Major, a key which allows Mozart to once again bring trumpets and timpani into his musical landscape, contains more strong thematic ideas. Again, Zacharias' pairing with Zinman leading the Bavarian radio players makes for a divine team in this music.

The famous middle movement is taken at quite a pace, especially for those who know the slow, magical possibilities of this music. Yet, as ever, Zacharias is a poetic, thoughtful performer, and thus makes the best possible case for his tempo.

The lightweight nature of the last movement is almost off-putting for this listener, although Mozart's divergences, and strong thematic material, charms the pants off of me. Best yet, the winds have such an individual presence in these two concertos from this recording, providing a colorful orchestral palate rarely encountered elsewhere.

As with K. 466, Daniel Barenboim with the Berlin Philharmonic is terrific in the 21st. Those who don't mind going into older recordings, heralded is Lipatti with Karajan, and possibly Weissenberg with Giulini too, both in OK stereo. I find Zacharias and Zinman excellent as well, and as the he approaches Mozart's final piano concertos, the pianist is most often a first choice for me with no need of comparisons.

 

Listen on YouTube

 

 

 

Works
Piano Concerto 20 in D minor, K. 466 (28.59)
Piano Concerto 21 in C Major, K. 467 (26.00)

Soloists
Christian Zacharias, piano

Performers
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
David Zinman, conductor

Label: EMI
Year: 1989

 

 

 

 

Find more Mozart recordings HERE!