Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ivo Pogorelich :: Mozart: Klaviersonaten KV 283 and 331; Fantasie KV 397

A fine reading

Thomas D. Worthen | tucson, az United States | 03/02/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Only K331 here is worthy of comment as K284 is an easy piece and 497 is a fragment.Pogorelech's carefull reading of 331 gives a delightful result.
From sforzando to piano is a difficult move and he brings it off perfectly. His tempi seem just right to me everywhere. The phrasing in divine. Any great player can bring off the alla Turka, but his minuet and espectially the theme and variations are peerless. No other performers I have heard observe the subtleties of dynamics and tempo the way Ivo does, although some might object to his sometimes pronounced rubatos and half dotting of notes that are not so indicated in the score."

All that is good and bad

Mr. Ian George Fraser | Brazil | 01/01/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I'm afraid I entirely disagree with almost everything in the previous review, apart from the obvious inaccuracy, the Fantasy is KV397 not 497.



To me Pogorelich's playing represents all that is both good and bad in modern interpretations of Mozart. He is a virtuosic pianist technically. Unfortunately Mozart, certainly not in these sonatas at any rate, is not fruitful ground for virtuosi. Everything here is reduced to extremes, presto become prestissimo, andante adagio and there is far too much staccato. I found myself aching from some long lined legato playing after listening to this terrible performance, which might help me into the underlying "geist" of these pieces. Admittedly KV331 with its highly innovative theme and variations first movement and flashy Rondo alla Turca finale lends itself rather easily to this sort of playing, but the slow movement.... This is Mozart bled dry. For all the technical excellence, there is not a shred of emotional content, all is brittle, flashy and meaningless. Not recommended."