Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Claudio Abbado, London Symphony Orchestra :: Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 21 & 23

Worth it for "Elvira Madigan"

Jon. Yungkans | Whittier, CA USA | 05/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I disagree with "thumribhairavi" about this disc. Serkin may not have been at his peak technically when he made these recordings, but at least in No. 21 he could still make his fingers do his bidding. His tempos are a little slower than mainstream but the contral Andante made doubly-famous by the film "Elvira Madigan" gains in gentleness from it. Serkin's interpretive insights are as penetrating as ever, with turns of phrase both affectig emotionally and fresh and challenging intellectually.



No. 23 is more problematical. Here I can hear what "thumribhairavi" meant by "respectable but unexciting," but only to a certain point. Serkin was starting to lose steam by the time he recorded this concerto, but while the performance has its longeurs, it is still elegantly phrased and tenderly played by all concerned. Claudio Abbado turns in one of his more heartfelt readings (as he also does in No. 21), and the chamber music-like interplay he and Serkin sustain while unearthing insight after insight make this a solid traversal. Sir Clifford Curzon would still be my first choice for this concerto, but this one wouldn't be bad to have as a fascinating alternate.



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Not Quite Serkin's Best

T. Lum | Oakland, CA United States | 08/31/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"These are respectable but unexciting recordings, made when Serkin was quite old and no longer at the peak of his powers. They do not even come close to the magnificent, well-nigh definitive Mozart recordings he made during the 1960s for Columbia (now on Sony label, at bargain price)."