Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ronald Brautigam :: Complete Sonatas & Variations

10/10

Y. Zhang | 12/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THE 2 ClassicsToday 10/10 reviews are below for the complete complete Sonatas and Complete Piano Vaiation sets now combined together into this single 10CDs for the price of 4 disc set!



A signpost reading "Caution: Genius at Play" should mark each and every set of keyboard variations penned by Mozart. The variation form is where Mozart didn't compose so much as he jammed, riffed, and allowed his powdered wig to all hang out in between big projects like operas and concertos. Mozart probably improvised some of these works before setting them to paper, and they best communicate when played in an unfettered, spontaneous manner. The fluency of Mozart's ideas and the beauty and logic inherent in the piano writing has to come across without the pianist sounding as if he or she has practiced the tricky passages a thousand times. Even more than in his excellent Mozart sonata cycle for BIS, Ronald Brautigam's tempos feel just right, whether adrenaline supplements seem to be fueling the pianist's potent left hand in the C major Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je Maman" and E-flat major set on "La belle Françoise", or the delightful, show-offy sections of the "Je Suis Landor" Variations K. 354.





Other significant works sprinkled among the variation sets include Eine Kleine Gigue (its dizzying metric displacements tossed off with lightness and glee), a flexible and refreshingly unsolemn B minor Adagio, the perky D major Rondo, and a graceful and supple rendition of the underrated French Overture K. 399, with its harmonically sophisticated Allemande. In a handful of pieces like the A minor Rondo, I feel that Brautigam's little holdbacks and feminine endings are a bit precious, studied, and ultimately predictable. However, that hardly detracts from the collection's overall success. Once again Brautigam uses a Paul McNulty fortepiano (modeled after an Anton-Gabriel Walter instrument circa 1795). Unlike many fortepianos, it doesn't boast pronounced timbral differences from one register to another, but most of the time the soft pedal produces a delicate lute-like sonority that greatly contrasts to the instrument's tangy brightness. With BIS selling these four discs at the price of two, how can you go wrong?



--Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com



Previously available on six single CDs, BIS offers Ronald Brautigam's Mozart Sonata cycle in one package. While the music easily could have fit on five discs, you still get six for the price of three. It's wonderfully worth it. To be sure, Brautigam's Paul McNulty fortepiano (modeled after an Anton-Gabriel Walter instrument circa 1795) doesn't match the timbral differentiation between registers we often encounter from other fortepianos. It has the advantage, however, of a clear, resonant sound and, praise be, it holds its tuning. Brautigam's imaginative interpretations capture Mozart's many moods, from the gallant style of the six earliest sonatas to the tensile drama and operatic leanings of the A minor (K. 310) and C minor Fantasia and Sonata (K. 457 and 475). Sometimes Brautigam's tapered diminuendos seem a bit arch and unnatural. At least his occasional mannerisms don't emerge as interpretive tics. If you're looking for a reasonably priced Mozart Sonata cycle played on a period instrument, look no further. Excellent sound and annotations, too.



--Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com"

Very enjoyable

L. Topper | 07/02/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am certainly no expert on Mozart Sonatas, but I have heard a number of recordings of them by different piano players. Most of them are on modern pianos which are generally preferable. Often times, I have felt that performances on piano forte have been interesting curiosities. I have enjoyed them, but did not take them especially seriously and I did not listen to extended periods of time.



This performance is different. It is elegant, lively, and very tuneful. The piano forte is definitely different. I guess it does give listeners an idea of what pianos sounded like when Mozart was composing (I am not sure if he had access to a piano forte or if they came out later), but it gives you an idea of what his music might have sounded to an 18th century audience. Unlike some other piano forte recordings, the instrument does not sound as if it is constantly out of tune or that it is flat. It is actually pretty accessible to a listener used to hearing modern pianos.



It is a little expensive compared to other complete sets out these days, but it is a modern recording in excellent sound. I really enjoy it."