Spacious and Warm-Hearted Performances
Christopher Smith | Atlanta, Georgia | 06/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Marriner's credentials as a distinguished Mozartean are well-known and need no elaboration here. Moravec too has been playing Mozart beautifully for many years. I have a "cold war" recording of his from the mid-'60's where Mozart's gorgeous K. 475 Fantasy is coupled with Piano Concerto no. 25. His appraoch to Mozart has always been romantic, carrying a rich and full-bodied sound, and this tradition continues here. No. 20 is, along with no. 24, Mozart's most anguished concerto, and Moravec and Marriner bring out its full emotional range in a manner that leaves Perahia and Uchida in the dust. Not since Barenoim's EMI recording have I been so moved by an interpretation of this work. No. 23 is taken more lightly and briskly, as it should be, but if you want to hear how effortlessly Mozart could mask complex heartbreak with deceptively simple lyricism, listen to this concerto's slow movement. It's unforgettable. Marriner and Moravec have also collaborated on no.'s 24 and 25, and I'd recommend that as highly as I do this recording. I was lucky enough to see Moravic perform Mozart in 1991, and he's a true artist. If you're new to these concertos, then wait no longer--a whole range of undiscovered delights await you. If you have a recording of these concertos you're happy with, give this a try too. I'm sure Moravec will bring forth new insights into these pieces you thought you knew so well."
Moravec's Romantic Vision Of Mozart
John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 03/15/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Without a doubt, Moravec is one of our finest pianists. Having heard him play a great recital program last year at Carnegie Hall which featured music by Debussy, Mozart and Janacek, I was eagerly looking forward to hearing this CD. Moravec gives a vibrant, Romantic interpretation of Mozart's 20th piano concerto that is the most stirring I've heard; it's certainly a far cry from Brendel's austere approach. As for the 23rd Piano Concerto, Moravec's playing conveys more of a Classical interpretation than Romantic, but it is still marked by much vibrant warmth. I don't have to emphasize Sir Neville Marriner's excellence as a fine interpreter of Mozart; both he and the Academy are in splendid form as accompanists. Hopefully this is part of an ongoing Mozart piano concerto cycle which Moravec will complete. The sound quality is splendid."
My Favorite K488 Concerto Recording
J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 01/15/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've been on a Mozart piano concerto kick recently and I got caught up in listening to the dozen different recordings of Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K.488 that I own. This includes such pianists as Uchida, Kempff, Haskil, Gieseking, Brendel, Ashkenazy, Perahia and some others. For me the most poetic and moving of all is this recording by Ivan Moravec who is among the most poetic pianists currently before the public. And this is particularly so in the Andante middle movement, the plaintive heart and soul of this concerto (and, for you trivia buffs, the only movement Mozart ever wrote in the key of F sharp minor). I cannot tell you how often I've listened to Moravec's Andante alone, and it almost always brings tears to my eyes. The sparkle and wit of the outer movements almost alleviate the sadness of that movement, but not quite, at least for me.
The performance of Concerto No. 20 is not on quite such an exalted level but it is still among my favorite recorded performances.
This disc is a treasure.
Scott Morrison"
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1