Mozart piano sonatas

[Bryn]

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

Remember this?

But of course.

[french frank]

But of course.

Is yours the 5-CD Olympia set, Bryn? No, I can see now it's the Altara

[richardfinegold]

I like Eschenbach, although that seems to be a minority opinion here. I now have and enjoy Brendel, as part of the complete Phillips recordings box. I have the odd Brautigan and Uchida recording. I also have several Richter recordings as part orf a big collection but I don’t think that Mozart was his cup of vodka

[ardcarp]

The OP asked also to mention a favourite sonata. Mine is unfailingly the C minor K457. It has so much originality and invention. I've got Schiff and Uchida playing it, but it's one I love to have a crack at when no-one's listening. How is Schiff rated by Forumistas as a Mozartian? I think (without looking) his Complete Mozart Sonatas is on Decca.

[Dave2002]

I rather like K332 in F, but although I can't play it particularly well I enjoy trying - usually when nobody else is listening. Sadly that doesn't help a lot, as a consequence is that I really don't like a lot of performances by pianists who are a lot (really very much) better than I am. I was hoping that Kristian Zimerman might be good, but he hasn't recorded too many Mozart sonatas - and in any case what I have heard didn't blow me away, whereas I have heard him play some Haydn sonatas in a way which were just stunning - and I was very appreciative even if he wasn't playing a period piano.

I like ardcarp's C minor sonata too, as well as K310 in A minor.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I saw Christian Blackshaw playing a Mozart sonata at The Maltings, Snape. Magical playing. If I were to buy a new set, it would be his.

[Dave2002]

Do any recordings of K332 (Rondo alla Turca) use instruments with the (I presume optional) additional "Turkish" instruments? A long time ago a friend and I used to listen to a very lively version which had extra accoutrements. I think some instruments in Mozart's time may have been fitted with such "accessories",

[Stanfordian]

I saw Christian Blackshaw playing a Mozart sonata at The Maltings, Snape. Magical playing. If I were to buy a new set, it would be his.

Uchiha takes some beating.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Do any recordings of K332 (Rondo alla Turca) use instruments with the (I presume optional) additional "Turkish" instruments? A long time ago a friend and I used to listen to a very lively version which had extra accoutrements. I think some instruments in Mozart's time may have been fitted with such "accessories",

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZetRIKHu0kA

I don't know if Mozart had access to such an instrument (his own piano didn't have the bells and whistles) and I don't know of any recording with one. (Not even the BigBox - they missed a trick there!)

[vinteuil]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZetRIKHu0kA

I don't know if Mozart had access to such an instrument (his own piano didn't have the bells and whistles) and I don't know of any recording with one. (Not even the BigBox - they missed a trick there!)

... I think such bells and whistles came along a little later than Mozart - but I haven't got immediate access to any of my piano-related books which might confirm dates.

.

[Bryn]

... I think such bells and whistles came along a little later than Mozart - but I haven't got immediate access to any of my piano-related books which might confirm dates.

.

Indeed. If the information regarding the range of instruments from the Colt Collection used by Malcolm Binns for his Beethoven Sonatas survey is anything to go by, the earliest instrument there was from 1810, though reference is made to an earlier model also having extra effects. Beethoven is said to have eshewed such frippery. If so, Staier, in his performances of Op. 120 was not exactly following HIPP.

[MickyD]

Do any recordings of K332 (Rondo alla Turca) use instruments with the (I presume optional) additional "Turkish" instruments? A long time ago a friend and I used to listen to a very lively version which had extra accoutrements. I think some instruments in Mozart's time may have been fitted with such "accessories",

The pianos of Mozart's time were too early to have the Turkish accessories fitted. I remember Richard Burnett playing the Rondo alla Turca on a later instrument to great effect when I visited Finchcocks. Though not a piano from Mozart's time, all the janissary effects fitted the music like a glove.

[gurnemanz]

I notice that Walter Klien's most attractive versions of the sonatas, which I mentioned above, are on his complete survey of Mozart's solo piano, which is available as a download on the site which Dave has been pointing out on the Bargains thread, priced at 60 cents.

[Bryn]

I notice that Walter Klien's most attractive versions of the sonatas, which I mentioned above, are on his complete survey of Mozart's solo piano, which is available as a download on the site which Dave has been pointing out on the Bargains thread, priced at 60 cents.

How will my bank balance stand this ever increasing stress? Could this be the straw which converts the stress into strain?

[Dave2002]

I notice that Walter Klien's most attractive versions of the sonatas, which I mentioned above, are on his complete survey of Mozart's solo piano, which is available as a download on the site which Dave has been pointing out on the Bargains thread, priced at 60 cents.

Actually for anyone who has a Qobuz account - even the basic one, these are available as part of the subscription. Am I right in thinking that even in the basic mode the Qobuz sound is better than mp3? It might depend on how they do the conversion to whatever streaming format they use. Is Qobuz using ogg vorbis for compressed streams, or does it use several different formats?

Noting the enthusiasm for Qobuz round here, surely with some older recordings unless companies such as Qobuz have access to much better masters or copies there isn't really a great hope that the sound quality will be beter. OTOH I can easily believe that some new recordings or older recordings with good masters willl show an improvement.