BaL 9.03.13 - Mozart's Piano Concerto no.19 in F, K.459

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30am Building a Library
Nicholas Kenyon with a personal recommendation from recordings of Mozart's Piano Concerto in F, K.459

Available versions:-

Geza Anda, Camerata Academica des Salzburger Mozarteums
Martha Argerich, Wurttembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Jorg Faerber
Vladimir Ashkenazy, Philharmonia Orchestra
Paul Badura-Skodam Prague Chamber Orchestra
Daniel Barenboim, English Chamber Orchestra
Malcom Bilson, English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner
Ronald Brautigam, Die Kolner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens
Alfred Brendel, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Neville Marriner
Alfred Brendel, Vienna Volksoper Orchestra, Wilfried Boettcher
Benjamin Britten, English Opera Group Chamber Orchestra
Rudolf Buchbinder, Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Karl Engel, Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg, Leopold Hager
Christoph Eschenbach, LPO
Till Fellner, Camerata Academica Salzburg
Richard Goode, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Helene Grimaud, Kammerorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Derek Han, Philharmonia Orchestra, Paul Freeman
Clara Haskil, Bavarian State Orchestra, Ferenc Fricsay
Clara Haskil, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Ferenc Fricsay
Clara Haskil, Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester, Ferenc Fricsay
Clara Haskil, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Victor Desarzens
Clara Haskil, RIAS, Ferenc Fricsay
Clara Haskil, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Carl Schuricht
Werner Hass, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Mladen Basic
Jeno Jando, Concentus Hungaricus, Matyas Antal
Matthias Kirkschnereit, Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie, Frank Beermann
John O’Conor, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras
Cristina Ortiz, Consort of London
Murray Perahia, English Chamber Orchestra
Maria-João Pires, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Armin Jordan
Maurizio Pollini, VPO, Bohm
Andras Schiff, Camerata Academica des Mozarteums Salzburg, Sandor Vegh
Annerose Schmidt, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, Kurt Masur
Artur Schnabel, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent
Christine Schornsheim, New Bach Collegium Musicum Leipzig, Burkhard Glaetzner
Howard Shelley, London Mozart Players
Viviana Sofronitsky, Musica Antiqua Collegium Varsoviense, Tadeusz Karolak
Andreas Staier, Concerto Köln
Mitsuko Uchida, English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate
Mikhail Voskresensky, Pavel Slobodkin Centre Orchestra Moscow, Leonid Nikolaev
Christian Zacharias, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne

[vinteuil]

... many thanks for all that, Alpie!

A very Alp of a task for the reviewer...

One of my favourites is -

Robert Levin / AAM, Christopher Hogwood.
It is 'available' on the amazon site, but not at a sensible price...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I seem to have multiple versions of this work (and most of the other Mozart piano concertos).

But my favourite is Pollini, whose judgement seem well nigh perfect in every way.

[aeolium]

Yes, I very much like that version, EA. I also like Ashkenazy in this concerto. I'd like to hear an extract from one of the Haskil/Fricsay recordings (why did they record it so often - was there some dissatisfaction with earlier discs?)

[amateur51]

Yes, I very much like that version, EA. I also like Ashkenazy in this concerto. I'd like to hear an extract from one of the Haskil/Fricsay recordings (why did they record it so often - was there some dissatisfaction with earlier discs?)

I think they're mostly 'live' performances, aeolium

[verismissimo]

I appear to have Anda, Pires and Haebler (sadly nla it seems). Like them all!

[cincinnatus]

There's a 7 CD DG box set of Mozart concertos by Rudolph Serkin and the LSO conducted by Claudio Abbado which includes PC 19. I am not familiar with it but, like Grumiaux last week, if Abbado is in the field I would not bet against it. Has anybody any idea why we are having 2 Mozart pieces only a fortnight apart? Isn't that rather unusual?

[Thropplenoggin]

Thanks, EA, for the list. Arthur Schoonderwoerd and Cristofori have recently recorded this repertoire on Accent.

My money's on Richard Goode with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for overall winner. I also like Howard Shelley with the London Mozart Players (Chandos) in the piano concertos.

HIPP-choice: Ronald Brautigam, natch.

Historic pick: Haskil, Fricsay - bit of an un-HIPP 'dream team', that.

[Gordon]

There's a 7 CD DG box set of Mozart concertos by Rudolph Serkin and the LSO conducted by Claudio Abbado which includes PC 19. I am not familiar with it but, like Grumiaux last week, if Abbado is in the field I would not bet against it. Has anybody any idea why we are having 2 Mozart pieces only a fortnight apart? Isn't that rather unusual?

Those recordings were made in Kingsway Hall in March 1982/3. Sadly Abbado's conducting is fine but Serkin's way with the solo part is a little wayward at times and he has affected the tempi somewhat too. If you're interested try sampling a download.

I first heard the piece in Parahia's set with the ECO. Good but probably not now top recommendation. The sound is a little dull and there are audible edits, as there are in Uchida's.

[Barbirollians]

Thanks, EA, for the list. Arthur Schoonderwoerd and Cristofori have recently recorded this repertoire on Accent.

My money's on Richard Goode with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for overall winner. I also like Howard Shelley with the London Mozart Players (Chandos) in the piano concertos.

HIPP-choice: Ronald Brautigam, natch.

Historic pick: Haskil, Fricsay - bit of an un-HIPP 'dream team', that.

Not sure you can say that Throps - Haskil plays very classically and Fricsay was a superb Mozartian and his Audite label record of symphonies is very forward looking.

I think K459 is one of Perahia's best records and he should come home in front .

[JFLL]

Nicholas Kenyon is a great admirer of K.459. In his Faber Pocket Guide to Mozart he says ‘it never ceases to amaze with its depth and power’, and he rates it above all the concertos 1-18, but also above KK. 482 and 488, so it’ll have an enthusiastic advocate. He recommends Pollini/Böhm and Schiff/Végh in the Faber Guide. Perahia still cuts the mustard for me.

[Tony Halstead]

PETER Serkin with the ECO conducted by Alexander Schneider ( recorded about 1973) was memorable but I'm not sure if it ever made it onto CD...? Also in that set were the other five of the amazing group of 1784 concertos : nos 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 as well as number 19 K459.
I was playing on those RCA recordings and I remember PS's modest, quietly unassuming manner, but above all his absolutely superb, focussed playing; I often wonder whether, if he had had the enormous 'publicity machine' that accompanied Perahia's debut recordings in those concertos, whether he would have emerged as an equally important and 'valid' Mozart interpreter?
He certainly deserved to...
when visiting New York about 30 years ago I tracked down and bought the LPs of those six 1784 concertos, and I treasure them to this day ( despite A. Schneider's frequently audible 'upbeat SNIFFS' a bit like George Szell's!)

[Bryn]

Don't forget this one:



Also to be found in a boxed set of all the solo keyboard concertos (which seems to have increased vastly in price since I paid around £25 for it a few years ago).

[gurnemanz]

I am looking forward to Mr Kenyon but having Perahia and Haskil/Fricsay/BPO, I'm probably not a candidate for another purchase.

[Barbirollians]

I regret that Martha Argerich is not the soloist on that K459 - it is Alexandre Rabinovitch and it is awful - lots of posturing and perfumed playing . He conducts her in K466 on the same record and she is magnificent as she is in her other very limited Mozart discography .