Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jeno Jando :: Mozart: Violin Sonatas, Vol. 3 (K. 378-380)

Good, basic Mozart.

02/27/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Compared with the String Quintets, Quartets, etc., Mozart's Violin and Piano Sonatas are often underrated. Although not his greatest works, they are gems of the genre and contain music of surprising passion and verve. Some listeners like performances that are full of personality, often meaning performances that take great artistic liberties with interpretation. This recording is more my style, as it leaves something for my imagination - it doesn't drip with ego, which would be entirely inappropriate for this music. The Sonata K. 379 is the most successfully performed here, as Jando, particularly in the opening of the first movement (an extended introduction to the g-minor Allegro that follows), is particularly musical and perfectly understated. The tempi chosen for all of these Sonatas are very good, although the last movement of the B-flat Sonata could be a bit faster. Balance is generally good and Nishizaki knows when to get out of the way of the piano's often predominant role - which is all to the good because Jando is an excellent musician. Also, Nishizaki's intonation is occasionally off and her playing reveals a narrow color palette (forte, mezzo, and piano). However, her playing is certainly capable and never glib. The quality of the recording is very good, although more reverberation would help the music to "sing"."