Mozart piano sonatas

[Dave2002]

As someone who occasionally tries to play Mozart piano sonatas, I am interested in recordings.
Perhaps people who don't play - or try to - find these works less interesting. Indeed that could open up another thread - works which are more fun to play than to listen to - but we'll leave that for the immediate present.

For preference I'd most probably rather hear recordings of performances made on instruments similar to the ones Mozart would have used, rather than on modern grands.

What would others recommend? What's your favourite sonata and who's your favoured performer?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

As so often, Brautigam is superb, Dave:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Complete-Sonatas-Wolfgang-Amadeus/dp/B00004YYRX

... and for a super-budget MP3 download, there's Bart van Oort - I haven't heard him in these works, but he's pretty reliable in other things I've heard him play:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Complete-Bart-van-Oort/dp/B008XRQS3A

(Even cheaper is the effervescent Carmen Piazzini - on a modern piano, but not bogged down by the handicaps that such an instrument often provides in this repertoire, and much better than many a superstar name:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Complete-Sonatas-Carmen-Piazzini/dp/B0023M71WI

[Bryn]

. . . even cheaper is the effervescent Carmen Piazzini - on a modern piano, but not bogged down by the handicaps that such an instrument often provides in this repertoire, and much better than many a superstar name:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Comp.../dp/B0023M71WI

Her recordings, with the Leningrad Soloists, of the Mozart piano concertos, are something of a bargain legend, too. I got them as part of a 40 CD "The Mozart Collection", purchased from "The Works" for the princely sum of £10. The set also has the piano sonatas played by Piazzini, and a good selection of the symphonies conducted by Bour. See here for details.



Unfortunately this seems to currently be available only at rather inflated prices, though Oxfam seems to have a copy for sale at £20 + p&p.

[Dave2002]

Her recordings, with the Leningrad Soloists, of the Mozart piano concertos, are something of a bargain legend, too. I got them as part of a 40 CD "The Mozart Collection", purchased from "The Works" for the princely sum of £10.

Unfortunately this seems to currently be available only at rather inflated prices, though Oxfam seem to have a copy for sale at £20 + p&p.

Thanks to both so far. I have the Piazzini set (sonatas - as well as the concertos) already as downloads - just checked must have come from Apple as in AAC format and that's what the XML file says. I wonder if the CDs sound significantly better - they might - but no matter right now.

I may already have the Bart van Oort set - not sure. Is that in the Brilliant Mozart box? I may have bought them separately anyway. I can access them via Amazon Prime. Sounds good - and there are some nice touches.

The Brautigam set might be something I'll put on my list for Father Christmas - and I could have the mp3s as well if ordered from Amazon.

Are there any other contenders? The Biegel set for 75 cents as an mp3 download seems a good introduction, though not as easy on the ear as Bart von Oort which I'd probably recommend as an extra as well as Brautigam.

[Bryn]

Not sure about the current version of the Brilliant Classics Mozart Edition but earlier ones have Klára Würtz for the sonatas, though Van Oort is there for some of the piano variations.

[Barbirollians]

Maria Joao Pires DG set - absolutely wonderful in these pieces IMO.

[pastoralguy]

I have Mitsuko Uchida on Philips. A set of CDs I bought at 09.45 on 3rd December 1988! Had it not been for this thread that anniversary would have passed my by. They cost a jaw dropping £48.33. I was a student at the time and had an eccentric aunt who would send me record tokens for huge amounts at random times of the year!

I've always loved Uchida's playing in the Concertos so it seemed natural to buy this set. I must have listened to these discs many times in the subsequent 30 years. I also see from the booklet that Ms. Uchida signed the booklet when she played at the Edinburgh Festival some time ago.

I also have the Brautigam set on BIS. (£1.99 from Ca Research!), and Barenboim as well as the Pires discs.

Such riches!

[Barbirollians]

I also have the Barenboim set but prefer the Pires - also some excellent single CDs from Alf B .

[MickyD]

For period pianos, I'd definitely recommend Brautigam and Van Oort - I have both and they are a delight. Van Oort's box set is probably the most complete of all the collected works, with lots of fragments, dances etc. And a terrific bargain on 14 CDs. This first version (a second appeared some years later) has a very comprehensive booklet of notes.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Complete-Keyboard-Wolfgang-Amadeus/dp/B000EMSPVU/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1543779650&sr=1-3&keywords=Mozart+van+Oort

[HighlandDougie]

I really like Kristian Bezuidenhout’s various Harmonia Mundi releases - and Maria Joao Pires (the box set of her DG solo piano recordings was about the only decent bargain to be had in French Amazon’s Black Friday offers).

[Bryn]

For period pianos, I'd definitely recommend Brautigam and Van Oort - I have both and they are a delight. Van Oort's box set is probably the most complete of all the collected works, with lots of fragments, dances etc. And a terrific bargain on 14 CDs. This first version (a second appeared some years later) has a very comprehensive booklet of notes.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Comp...ozart+van+Oort

Though Van Oort often observes repeats, he is not consistent. Some well known works are played without the marked repeats. Still worth getting.

[gurnemanz]

Over the decades, since LP days and then on CD, I have loved listening to Walter Klien on Vox and didn't feel the need for another set until I quite recently acquired the highly recommendable Leon McCawley on Avie.

[Bryn]

When it come to recordings using a modern piano, my first resort is our late, lamented friend, Peter.



Unfortunately, the set has now become rather more pricey than when I got it.

[vinteuil]

.

... yes to Brautigam and van Oort, very much so. Also Lubimov :

http://amzn.eu/d/6UwKVVW

But I wd also like to put a word in for Zacharias :

http://amzn.eu/d/eQW1z6G

.
and Lili Kraus :

http://amzn.eu/d/6AMLiv5

.

[ ... actually I find Haydn's piano sonatas much more rewarding than Mozart's. ]



.

[french frank]

I enjoy his too, but only have two of the Olympia CDs. Otherwise Klára Würtz.

Remember this?

When it come to recordings using a modern piano, my first resort is our late, lamented friend, Peter.



Unfortunately, the set has now become rather more pricey than when I got it.