Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wilhelm Backhaus :: Wilhelm Backhaus plays Mozart

Backhaus plays Mozart in Salzburg

James K. Hanson | Hudson, New York | 01/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This excellent recital comes from a 1956 performance in Salzburg. Backhaus could sometimes seem a little bit stolid in Mozart. Listeners who are familiar with the pianist's studio recordings of Mozart sonatas will recognize the style and the sound and, perhaps, the vestigial 19th c. mannerisms Backhaus still allowed himself in the 1950s, including "breaking" of the hands, rolled chords, and the occasional reinforcement of the texture. As usual, Backhaus is in command of the music, there is no faking, there are no tricks, no excesses. He doesn't moon over the music to show us how deeply he feels it all. Technical command is a given with Backhaus, of course. Yet, Backhaus avoid the pitfalls of modern pianism. His playing is never dull, never dutiful. Admirers of the modern paragons, Michelangeli, Pollini et al, should listen to this disc to hear how a great pianist can be at once objective and lyrical, modernist in details yet yearningly Romantic at heart. Hint: the gentle, unobtrusive beauty of his sound may be the key. The Rondo in a minor, K. 511, is a highlight of this disc. It's not quite as disquieting as the great Schnabel EMI record, but it is one of the very best readings of this elusive piece on record."