Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philharmonia Orchestra :: Mozart: Piano Concertos, No. 16 (K.451) & No. 15 (K.450)

Excellent -- propulsive and well-detailed

Jon. Yungkans | Whittier, CA USA | 04/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ashkenazy was best in Mozart's middle concertos, and between Nos. 11 and 20 there's nary a dud in the bunch. His middle-of-the-road approach between Brendel's more intellectual rigor and Perahia's poetic but overly soft-edged approach has worn much better for me over repeated hearings, and this disc is no exception.



No. 16, which is deservedly first, is an excellent example of everything I've said above. The performance is well-detailed, with plenty of wit and songfulness, yet propulsive and muscular enough to really give this music a welcome zip and just enough toughness (but not too much) to make this piece sound really substantial.



The only reason I didn't give this disc five stars is that, as good as Ashkenazy's performance of No. 15 truly is, there's another that's even better. Bernstein captures such magic and intimacy in his account on Decca with the Vienna Philharmonic (especially in the middle movement) that virtually every other recording pales in comparison to it. With Berstein you also get a "Linz" Symphony that's a little too driven for its own good, but having BOTH these discs would be a well-spent purchase for any Mozart lover."