There are two wonderful Mozart Piano Concertos on this month's "Pick" from WITF with Leif Ove Andsnes and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, a new release from EMI Classics.The G Major Concerto (No. 17) is generally described as joyful, graceful, ebullient, effervescent.
The D Minor Concerto (No. 20), on the other hand, is dark and turbulent in the first and last movements, gorgeously romantic in the second, but not without a little more turbulence along the way. More akin to the 19th Century aesthetic, it was Mozart's most performed work in Beethoven's and Brahms' day when most of Mozart's other works were dismissed as "pretty" and "delicate."
Andsnes, one of the finest pianists today, is becoming recognized as one of the foremost Mozart interpreters around, even though he says he came late in his life to playing the concertos. This is the second in a series of recordings he's recorded for EMI, performing with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra (conducting them from the keyboard as Mozart would have done in his day).
Watch EMI's promotional video:
Andsnes' recording of these two Mozart concertos is WITF's Pick-of-the-Month available at Borders stores near you in Harrisburg, Camp Hill, York, Lancaster and Reading.
P.S. Andsnes will be performing Tuesday, April 22nd, 8pm, at the Washington Performing Arts Society's recital at Strathmore, MD (directions, here) - a recital that includes Schubert's C Minor Piano Sonata, Grieg's Ballade in G Minor and selections from Debussy's Preludes.
- Dick Strawser, Music Director & Evening Host for WITF's Classical Air
