Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields :: Mozart: Piano Concertos 21 & 23

Two wonderful concertos performed by a great pianist and a f

Craig Matteson | Ann Arbor, MI | 08/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the great mysteries of Mozart is that his music remains so fresh and appealing, so seemingly transparent, and yet so endlessly rewarding of study and close listening. There are always new things to find, new structures and miraculous details that Mozart was always aware of, but you just discovered on this most recent hearing. He seems to have no limits to his inventiveness, balance, seeming effortless power, and emotions that are perfectly expressed. He can share an anguish that seems miles deep, but never resorts to bathos or tricks to achieve his expression.



These two concertos are wonderful examples of these virtues. Concerto #21 has an opening allegro that not only delights with its energy, it has material in a minor key that provides balance and contrast in a way that makes the central material more ebullient than it would be on its own.



The second movement is very famous and justly so. It has many perfections and is balanced like those perfect summer days that are hot, but not too hot; the wind blows, but not too hard, the air is not humid or dry, and the air is full of the sounds and smells of life without being oppressing. It has a languid feel to it that is tinged with longing and a sense of loss without ever being tragic. It is a jewel. Oh, it was used as a theme for a seventies movie you may have seen called "Elvira Madigan", but that is a very minor point.



The third movement provides a dash and verve that can brighten anyone's day. The play between pianist and orchestra is a delight and requires such a light approach that it could disappear without just the right anchor of seriousness to keep it floating but not floating off.



Concerto #23 is quite different. It comes across as much more intimate and personal. It is less about drawing us all in than in making us each feel that we are alone with Mozart sharing his thoughts with us. The opening allegro has its joys, but they are never shouted to everyone, it is a joy felt in your heart.



The second movement has the kind of sweet sadness that one has when one is hurt by a longing that only a memory of what is lost can salve, yet even bringing the sweet memory to mind hurts, but it is a pleasing hurt because of the sweetness of that which one remembers.



The third movement dismisses all sadness with its convivial singing. Yet, its genial nature still retains some sense that it knows the ache we just shared. It says never mind all that and takes off in a fresh way, but we both remember what it was we were singing about just a moment before.



Brendel is an especially fine pianist for these works because his wonderful technique is always in the service of the music rather than drawing attention to its virtuosity. He does make it all so intelligent and seemingly simple that we focus on the music rather than his virtuosity. For Brendel, it is Mozart that matters and he shares his enjoyment with us. I always get the sense that Brendel knows everything in Mozart's mind and shares as much of it as a human being can.



One can always find new and fresh ways to praise the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and its longtime conductor, Neville Mariner. Often orchestras are called accompanists when performing concertos. Of course, in the best works that is balderdash. The concerto form is all about two forces and their interplay. Here the orchestra takes the piano as an equal and shares the musical ideas as a peer rather than as something to pass the time until we get back to the pianist. We listen to the wonderful playing of the orchestra to understand the piano part more fully and the piano informs our hearing of the orchestra as well.



This is a great disk at a great price. Concerto #21 was recorded in 1981 and #23 in 1971, but as fresh as this morning.



This is part of a Penguin series on great music and they have liner notes from various writers. For this disk they have the wonderful Harold Bloom who was just finishing his big book on Shakespeare when he wrote this piece. He focuses on the way Mozart is endlessly deep and transcends all time and scholarship, as does Shakespeare. It is worth reading."

Two Of The Best Performances From Brendel and Marriner

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 12/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This splendid recording is a reissue from Brendel's distinguished analogue/digital recordings of Mozart's piano concerti which he made with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of Saint Martin's in the Fields chamber orchestra back in the 1970's and early 1980's. Listeners will recognize the second movement of piano concerto number 21 as the theme to the movie "Elvira Madigan". Brendel, Marriner and the orchestra give distinguished, lyrical performances of Mozart's scores. Anyone on a cheap budget interested in an introduction to two of Mozart's great works for the piano and orchestra will not be disappointed with this recording."