Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Leopold String Trio, Paul Lewis :: Mozart: Piano Quartet in G minor; Piano Quartet in E flat

Splendid

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 05/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With this splendid recording, Paul Lewis continues to move fruther from under the shadow of his mentor, Alfred Brendel. While Brendel is considered today's most esteemed Mozart player, Lewis shows a special affinity for Mozart that might surpass his famous teacher in sympathy and lucidity. The collaboration of Lewis and the Leopold String Trio here sounds more like two players than four -- Lewis and the trio. When one is dominant, the other moves to the background. Lewis is clearly the star of this recording and the trio makes way for him when the piano carries the tune. This is very different than the more democratically homogenous performance of these works by the Beaux Arts Trio, which is considered by most critics to be the best modern version of this music. Another difference is the level of intimacy projected by Lewis and the members of the trio (none of whom are named Leopold, by the way.) When a single string player accompanies the piano, it seems to the listener she is playing only for you. Perhaps this is because the Leopold Trio's violinist and cellist are women? Whatever the reason, all four members are able to explode in forte when the score calls for it, such as in the return of the opening theme of the K. 493 quartet while never brutalizing the music. The sound on this 2002 recording is good but not the best we have come to expect in the new century. The clarity is inferior to the still wonderful-sounding Beaux Arts recording on Philips. That may be a consideration for audiophiles but it should not deter music lovers that want to hear Mozart played this sympathetically. The 2003-04 Penguin Guide update lists this recording with the best available versions of this music. I'm certain subsequent reprints of Third Ear and the Rough Guide will do the same."