Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Christian Zacharias :: Mozart: Piano Works

Short pieces by Mozart performed by Christian Zacharias - a

P. Adrian | Arad, Romania | 01/02/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, I am a little bit surprised to be the first reviewer of this product, as it was issued in 2000, some ten years ago... I bought it just a few months ago and since it arrived I have been frequently listening to it. I must confess that it continuously exerts a strange fascination over me. Part of the reasons can be summed up as follows: 1) the wonderful sound captured and mastered in an efficient manner by the MDG technicians (allowing the listener to discern fine nuances and consistent harmonics each note is coated by), 2) the charm of Mozart's works in their own right (even some of the ones recorded here are less known short pieces sometimes unjustly shadowed by his mighty sonatas or his piano concertos), and most importantly 3) the infallible artistry of Christian Zacharias, a truly wizard of the classical repertoire, a musician with a large scale of abilities in conveying the crystal clarity and proper tempos required by such a music. Zacharias is well known as a consummate Mozartian of our times and his renditions are always eagerly awaited. His playing is actually sparkling in the voluptuous Fantasia in C minor K 396 or in that sweet and mysterious Adagio in B minor K 540, to name but a few! The sole frustration of this recording could be - in my opinion - the famous Fantasy in D minor K 397 which is shortened by eluding its final part considered by some as unsatisfactory in musical view and rising thus some doubts with respect to its authenticity(?!). Yet this acerb little detail is copiously redeemed by the overall quality of the recording and the magnificent interpretation of Zacharias. Truly recommended!"