Mozart: Piano Concerto 24 & 25

 

Christian Zacharias only made one recording with Günter Wand at the helm. It is too bad they didn't do the whole cycle together, for this performance is superb on all fronts.

I don't know Wand as a Mozart-ian either, but he imbues Piano Concerto no. 24 in C minor with depth, spirit, and drama. This is really the crown jewel of the set of Mozart piano concertos from Zacharias.

Best of all, Wand leads the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, whose winds sound bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. This is rather important in this particular concerto, as K. 491 is more an argument between winds and strings than is the piano and ensemble.

The 24th begins in a stormy minor key, although I hear more melancholy than anything sinister. Despite being a rather long opening movement for Mozart, it is startlingly well crafted, where the composer has one of his finest developmental buildups. The NDR sets the mood of this movement for all it is worth, never afraid to add some stürm und dräng into the proceedings.

The second movement is something rather special. Wand takes it slowly and Zacharias plays it intimately. It is as if Zacharias is sharing a secret with only the piano and the listener; the secret he tells is from Mozart - no matter what troubles exist right now, listen to this music and let your spirit be lifted during our time together. It is these moments from Mozart which puts his music upon a plane above us mere mortals.

The finale is a theme and variations, which returns the work to its minor key. This movement is a wonderful showcase for both the piano and the orchestra, not to mention the back and forth between winds and strings, while the keyboard mediates amongst both parties.

When listening to such a splendid performance, one realizes no need for another to compare. If someone only wants one recording from Zacharias' set of Mozart piano concertos, this should be the one!

While Günter Wand melds the brass together so the inclusion of trumpet is less noticeable, David Zinman with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Piano Concerto no. 25 in C Major lets the trumpets ring out joyfully alongside timpani, again recalling Haydn to my ears.

The opening grows on me the more it plays on; something about the static pomp of the very opening makes me wish for something more. Later on, it seems as if Mozart is going to have his music burst out into the 1812 Overture; of course, once you hear it, it never goes away.

The middle movement of K. 503 could have been just another gently lilting slow movement, and indeed it begins that way. Mozart, however, throws in some harmonic curve balls and a wonderful building of musical tension. Merely songful wasn't enough, where again the composer adds something special for the listener.

The conclusion is surprisingly not a mad dash to end, but is rather light and frothy with a pastoral ease. Sure the piano has filigree finger work to impress, but Mozart is focused on charm and musicality than fireworks here.

Again, this is a performance with few peers, where Zacharias had an excellent team-up with David Zinman. Hearing these two recordings of the 24th and 25th back to back was careless of me, for it invites comparison, akin to rating my children against each other. Best not and enjoy them both!

 

 

 

 

Works
Piano Concerto 24 in C minor, K. 491 (30.40)
Piano Concerto 25 in C Major, K. 503 (31.01)

Soloists
Christian Zacharias, piano

Performers
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
    David Zinman, conductor
North German Radio Symphony Orchestra
    Günter Wand, conductor

Label: EMI
Year: 1986

 

 

 

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