Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Alexander Titov, Samuel Litkov :: Great Concertos of the Masters: Mozart: Piano Concertos No.19 and No.24

Shattering, Sublime

Chosroes III | NC | 12/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every Mozart Piano Concerto from No. 19 on has its heap of just acclaim. But perhaps none is so uncanny, mystical and prophetic a work as the Concerto No. 24. Nothing had prepared me for my first experience of this work, with its dark, thunderous, even maniacal mood, its flailing strings and hesitant, questioning piano, its giant set-piece of a first movement, exceeding even the measure of the D-minor concerto, and its unsettlingly mold-breaking 2nd and 3rd. Imagine a Rococo teapot set out in a Caspar David Friedrich landscape. It's as though the despairing, "King Lear"-like emotions of the Piano Concerto No. 23's second movement broke out into an entire concerto, one where despair intermingles with a sneering, self-wounding irony. This is a shockingly futuristic composition, one written as though in response to the entire Romantic repertory--it could even be said to answer Modernism . It is an emotionally frightening work, genuinely disturbing in all that it says about the universe, and yet is governed throughout by a remarkably pure Classical aesthetic. With the evident harshness of worldview there is an unfailingly tender feeling throughout, the voice of an inspired idealism lamenting over a world of agonizing tragedy. The final burst of melody in the 2nd movement, for instance, is liable to provoke choking tears in response to its hopeful outcry. But the third movement, with its throat-squeezing denial of the initial theme's quest to find full expression, seems to put an end to hope: it's a dizzying danse macabre that exceeds the measure of anything Berlioz or Liszt tried. And the 19th Piano Concerto? It is true balm for the soul, with woodsy, evergreen tone colors and an indelibly sprightly mood. But don't go carelessly into that second movement-- its pastoral beauty is another shocking experience of the Sublime. The playing on this disc is appropriately flutelike and clear, another tribute to the Russian and Eastern players and orchestras which Sony's terrific Infinity Digital label has introduced to the West. But all this is mere grasping at the wind-- immerse yourself in all this beauty and you won't be disappointed."

Mesmerizing!

A Minstrel in the Gallery | Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA | 07/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I know Mozart was a human being like the rest of us, but when you are finished listening to this disc, you will wonder what planet he was living on when he wrote these mind boggling concertos! These vivid performances will transport the listener from the monotony of daily life and for a few blissful moments cast you into a world of drama and intrigue. No. 19 is full of optimism and hope, but No. 24 is dark and tempestuous, like a musical storm on a raging sea of emotion. Then the incredibly beautiful melody of the second movement takes over and floats like a cloud. The final movement is just as powerful. You will not regret buying this cd, in fact, it will become an indispensable part of your music collection for the rest of your life!"