Search - Martino Tirimo;Prague Chamber Orchestra :: MOZART: Piano Concertos 20, 22

Martino Tirimo, Prague ChambOrch: Mozart P Ctos 22 & 20: A L

Dan Fee | Berkeley, CA USA | 09/23/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This dis of two Mozart piano concertos, numbers 20 and 22, twins the high musical achievement of these same players in another disc, also available on Amazon. That one offers the 16th and 24th piano concertos.



Tirimo is a thoroughly musical player who is quite a bit less well known in USA than his obvious gifts merit. On this second outing he is accompanied superbly by those other famous Mozarteans who also don't appear much in USA, the Prague Chamber Orchestra. I first fell in love with PCO when I heard them backing up Josef Suk's richly elegant set of all the Mozart violin concertos. Then heard them again, backing up Vienna's Paul Badura-Skoda on some very fine piano concertos. Then heard them again, partnered with Olympian finesse, depth and brilliance in the person of famed Czech pianist Ivan Moravec. Then really heard lots of them in Sir Charles Mackerras complete Telarc set of all the Mozart symphonies.



If any band has demonstrated its Mozart chops, surely PCO is ranked. Tirimo is fortunate to have them as his band on this disc. I've liked PCO before, but this time out they sound even more involved and fluent than ever before. The tone is warm in all band departments, and ensemble leaves out nothing a listener could want, even in these Mozart accompaniments.



The less flashy 22nd concerto, K. 482, starts the disc. Tirimo's phrasing, touch, articulation are just a tad juicier than the dry, limpid playing a listener can hear on the first disc. This kind of basic Mozart sound rises into high tonal realms, conjuring up names like Wilhelm Kempff, Alicia De Larrocha, Dinu Lipatti, or Clara Haskil. Among living pianists, probably Peter Jablonsky has a similarly transparent and singing touch; but he hasn't recorded much Mozart, yet. Whatever comparisons spring to mind, Tirimo is a model player in this repertoire. He makes a very strong case for playing Mozart on the modern grand piano, whatever the period instrument fans might think.



I must confess that for unknown reasons I have had a hard time, warming to the 22nd concerto. I seem to recall Radu Lupu with Uri Segal making wonderful Mozart, too, but that disc has gone out of print, though import label Eloquence may re-release it in some countries. Not even Maria Tipo completely won me over in the 22nd concerto; but this time I have fallen, headlong, into music appreciation. Lit by Tirimo's genius, I do not find a single note of this 22nd concerto wayward, redundant, or meandering. After I've lived for a good while with Tirimo, I expect I'll be able to go back to the other players and better grasp what they are doing in the work.



Just as Tirimo has his own way with the 22nd, so, the 20th piano concerto that completes this disc. K. 466. Where other pianists have sometimes stressed the storm and emotion in the roiling-oscillating harmonies, Tirimo and PCO always convey their due sense of drama as lighted in the unique glow of Golden Mean proportions, gestured deftly with something kin to classical perfection in architecture or sculpture. This is obeisance to Apollo, not Dionysus. Strong, deep feelings never cloud the questing, rational mind. The polished marble structure of the concerto's harmonic underpinnings is never far from being felt, earthy, rock solid. Not a passing whit of sentimentality marks the transparent, flowing song of the middle Romance movement. The more complex, contrasting inner sections are not at all hurried; Tirimo and PCO again emphasizing the muscular-harmonic strengths, even while the song is still flowing, still singing along. The return to the opening melody is more intellectually and emotionally significant in this reading, than in most of the others I still do cherish. The third movement caps off the strong show already made in the first two movements. Again, the harmonic filigree of the recurring Rondo motif assumes surprisingly substantial impact, expressive and more than just expressive. Where a lot of compelling players in this Rondo are content to just take off running, Tirimo and band mind the traditional caution against breezing through Mozart too fast. There is enough vitality in the basic tempo to keep it all alive and going; but enough deliberate space for inflection, strength, and detail that communicates strength, not just tonal color or warmth or liveliness.



A word about Tirimo's cadenzas. The disc booklet lists no credit; I assume Tirimo is playing his own inventions. Now, even very fine Mozart players can fall down a bit when it comes to their concerto improvisations. Especially on a disc that will be played, repeatedly. Tirimo finds his own ways in the cadenzas; yet without bizarre modernist jolts, or meandering overly in the direction of Beethoven yet to arrive. His style of playing in these cadenzas fits right in, with his overall way with Mozart. And thus, these cadenzas must be judged winning or successful, just as the rest of the reading is.



If I win a big lottery prize in the next drawing or two or three or four, this magical combination of Tirimo and Prague is my choice to record the next big complete Mozart concertos set; and since in this fantasy world I am executive producing on my own dime, super audio surround high resolution sound is taken for granted. Meanwhile, a augury of imaginary things to come, Five stars. Simply amazing Mozart."