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Special offer. Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 19 & 23
Hélène Grimaud (piano), Mojca Erdmann (soprano)
Kammerorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
There is no question that the music emerges vibrantly energetic. But those listeners accustomed to thinking fine Mozart playing permits the subtle play of emotions across a poised surface will...
Special offer. Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 19 & 23
Hélène Grimaud (piano), Mojca Erdmann (soprano)
Kammerorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Purchase product
There is no question that the music emerges vibrantly energetic. But those listeners accustomed to thinking fine Mozart playing permits the subtle play of emotions across a poised surface will...
About
This album marks two 'firsts' for Hélène Grimaud - her first live DG recording and her first ever Mozart concerto recording – the Piano Concertos Nos. 19 in F, and 23 in A. Hélène Grimaud considers the concerto in A major "probably the most sublime concerto Mozart ever wrote", with a slow movement that is "an extremely deep and painful expression of longing, where you find the real Mozart." The concerto in F major K459 is less well-known, but with a very special vitality and a virtuosic finale that is for Grimaud, "pure pianistic pleasure". As well as the two concertos, the album includes the beautiful concert aria for orchestra, soprano and piano 'Ch'io mi scordi di te', sung by Mojca Erdmann. The aria was Mozart's declaration of love to the soprano Nancy Storace, his Susanna in the world premiere of "Le nozze di Figaro".
Digital version contains bonus track: Chopin: Etude In F Minor, Op.posth. "Méthode des méthodes"
Contents and tracklist
- Hélène Grimaud (piano), Radoslaw Szulc (director), Chamber Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio (chamber orchestra), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (cadenzor)
- Recorded: 2011-05-23
- Recording Venue: Prinzregententheater, Munich
- Mojca Erdmann (soprano), Chamber Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio (chamber orchestra), Radoslaw Szulc (director), Hélène Grimaud (piano)
- Recorded: 2011-07-26
- Recording Venue: Herkules Saal, Munich
- Hélène Grimaud (piano), Radoslaw Szulc (director), Chamber Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio (chamber orchestra), Ferruccio Busoni (cadenzor)
- Recorded: 2011-05-23
- Recording Venue: Prinzregententheater, Munich
Spotlight on this release
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Awards and reviews
March 2012
There is no question that the music emerges vibrantly energetic. But those listeners accustomed to thinking fine Mozart playing permits the subtle play of emotions across a poised surface will probably find that Grimaud runs roughshod over some delicious details...[the concert aria] is played and sung (by soprano Mojca Erdmann) with commendably considered eloquence.
March 2012
Grimaud's playing is full of carefully graded subtleties: it's evident she has thought deeply about each gesture, yet the resulting performance sounds fresh and spontaneous...Erdmann has a lovely, supple, warm soprano but she could do with more steel in the voice for this dramatic music. The conductorless chamber orchestra is impressive. Grimaud takes great care to desentimentalise the music and make it, in her own words, 'weightless'
February 2012
[Erdmann] characterises her role with both tenderness and fervour. This track and the slow movement of K488 are worthy of full attention.
January 2012
[the orchestra] plays with exemplary precision and clarity, with especially remarkable virtuosity coming from the winds...Grimaud's playing is always fleet, alert and musical, but the recorded piano sound is often too bright...Erdmann projects the ardent sentiments of the text strongly
25th November 2011
the performances are spontaneous and muscular, to a degree indeed that won’t be to every taste. Busoni’s cadenza duly pops up: I can see why it ruffled Abbado’s feathers
