Reference Recordings: Mozart Piano Concerto Cycles

Mozart: Complete Piano Concertos. Geza Anda (piano and cond.) Camerata Academica des Mozarteum Salzburgs (DG)

[@EddieJazzFan]

For a small country, Hungary has given us a lot of great performers & conductors.

[@horacenyc492]

And do NOT get me started on the super-human mathematicians and physicists.

[@angusmcmillan8981]

Thank you for bringing back fond childhood memories. In the early 1960s our parents acquired our first electric gramophone (having previously subsisted on wind-up 78s) and our mother bought half a dozen vinyl LPs of which Geza Anda playing K466 and 488 was one. Decades later I haven’t fallen out of love with these performances.

[@ER1CwC]

That edition is the exact box that got me acquainted with the Mozart piano concerti. I'm not a Mozart person (though I greatly respect his music and importance), but I think that his piano concerti are the best. It's been a while since I listened to these performances, but I recall finding the Jeunehomme in particular tremendously moving. I do remember that the orchestra was not fully in tune in some of the selections.

[@zdl1965]

Thanks for highlighting Geza Anda! I grew up with these performances, on cassette tapes with old paintings of Vienna / Salzburg on the covers. In those days, the concertos were not numbered (Nos.1-27) but rather listed by their keys and Kochel numbers. So one had to work around No.21 (K.467) by counting forwards and backwards!

[@ernstraedecker6174]

Geza Anda's Mozart has always been my favorite! The orchestra is sometimes edgy, but his piano playing has over 40 years remained The Norm for me. Brendel at times good, Perahia impressive at first, but, you know, but, eh, stiffy.

[@martinbynion1589]

Great choice! I cut my teeth on Anda Mozart! Sure, Barenboim, Perahia, Uchida and many others followed along and took many kudos and popularised these works as a body, but Anda laid the foundation for the concept in my experience.

[@peterboer9572]

Great reference Dave, thank you!

[@robertslagle7176]

I LOVE the Schiff set!

[@iankemp1131]

As Dave says, not necessarily most people's favourite, or even the best one ... but it was the pioneering complete cycle that allowed us to compare and contrast all Mozart's piano concertos, and there are so many more of them than his mature symphonies. So yes, if you think cycles, I certainly thought Anda, even though other fine ones followed.

[@thebiblepriest4950]

Presentation very well done. I never knew most of this, because for over two decades my entire classical world was the flute repertory, and the only Mozart concertos I knew were K.313, K.314 and K.299. I was a callow youth.

[@horacenyc492]

The more time goes by, the more I realize just how solid my father's taste in classical music was.

[@mollycat2003]

Thanks, Dave-had read a lot about Geza Anda’s set but hadn’t explored it so I feel like I really learned a lot. Also, glad you gave my favorite (the Bilson/Gardiner set) a shout out!

[@airpanache]

yes that's the box I've got when i was in my college and it got me embarked on the life journey of "Mozart". Back then I barely heard of any famous pianists, like not even Rubinstein or Horowitz :D

[@kenschellberg1776]

I heard the Leroy Anderson (after it started) on King FM Seattle, this concerto. I knew it was American but couldn't place it. When it ended I drove home to my wife and said "Leroy Anderson sleighride, typewriter..." I wrote to the family to thank Mrs. Anderson for making this concerto available. One of the sons wrote me a very nice note and sent me the complete orchestral works (David Hurwitz has reviewed) and Goldilocks, his one Broadway score (which we love: reminds us of early Jerome Kern).

[@mike-williams]

You may have wanted to add this comment to the video on underplayed concerti???

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

I've never heard Brendel in these concerti, but from what I've heard, his demeanor and temperament suit Mozart much better than Beethoven.

[@balok63a40]

I like the Brendel/Marriner cycle. At the time that it came out, I remember the reaction being that while there were probably better performances of some of the individual concerti, overall, it was the best set available.

[@jdistler2]

One can see why the Anda cycle was a reference and important for its time, especially because it was available internationally. Yet had Lili Krauss' contemporaneous cycle enjoyed comparable distribution, it may well have challenged Anda's reference status.

[@maximisaev6974]

AMEN to that! What a glorious cycle that one was, and still is. It's a great pity it wasn't better known. Thank God someone had the vision to have it released on CD. Oh, and your notes for the release were very informative. Well done! Thank you.

[@avrumgolub2735]

I had the honor and pleasure to turn pages for Miss Kraus at her Town Hall, New York City performance. Although I'm a Horn player, I was a Horn player for the Conductor, Stephen Simon. Since I was attending the dress rehearsal, it was Miss Kraus who asked me to be her page turner. As an aside, post concert, Garrick Ohlsson was curious as to how a Horn player was chosen to to be the page turner. As a reward, I was given an autographed set of Miss Kraus and Mr. Simon's recordings of the MOzart Concerti. For me, these are the Reference Recordings.

[@bbailey7818]

I thought it was going to be Lili Kraus, actually, though I understand the reasoning. Anda/Fricsay is certainly the reference for the three Bartoks. Starting with Peter Serkin in concertos 14-19, I can assemble different preferences through 27, but Kraus is a great choice for the cycle. (Before No.14, only 9 and 12 really interest me.)

[@goonbelly5841]

I got that entire cycle on LP (mint condition). I think I paid around $15 for it. That being said, my favorite collection of Mozart piano concertos is by Casadesus/Szell (yes, I know, nobody cares).

[@jensguldalrasmussen6446]

"Nobody cares"?! Casadesus and Szell are the acme of Mozart playing! There are others, that once in awhile reach the same exalted level, but for collaborative perfection, refinement (the 'jeu perlé' of the pianist is a masterclass in and of itself), stylistic and interpretative rightness, there is no dud in their output of a select sample of these works! The Penguin Guide gave their performance of piano concerto 21 (KV 367) a rosette...and rightly so: listen to the hushed orchestral introduction to the 2nd movement, the beautifully phrased melody line in the piano and not least the way in which the subtle, left hand accompaniment figures of the pianist sensually and sensitively blend with, grace and enhance those of the orchestra! 🎉

[@violamateo-on8pc]

Casadesus' Mozart 23 is the essence of sophistication ... and beauty!

[@goonbelly5841]

@@jensguldalrasmussen6446 My favorite of the set is #24. Integration of piano and orchestra is absolutely seamless and contrapuntal textures are immaculate and breathtaking.

[@jensguldalrasmussen6446]

@@goonbelly5841 I don't know if I, personally, have a favourite among them...maybe them all? As the diva over all divas on the silverscreen once remarked: "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!" 😁

[@murraylow4523]

As I only seem to say anything on this series where I feel some puzzlement or disagreement, wanted to say that this is quite right. I’ve heard this cycle many times although I moved on to listen to others because the orchestral contributions are more convincingly done. However, Anda was a great pianist - not just because of the Bartok, but also in various works of Schumann. For a while this was an excellent basic set.

[@igorgregoryvedeltomaszewsk1148]

Having known for ages that this set is a must-have (remembering the Elvira Madigan theme from even before I knew the name Mozart) I only recently acquired it, and while listening usually after some minutes - regardless which concert - I cannot but say to myself: "What a genius musician Anda was: every phrase so rich on thoughtfulness and meaning". For me this is a not only a reference recording for all the reasons rightly mentioned but remains so for its overall musical quality. Eclipsed perhaps only by another Hungarian(s) Andras Schiff and Sandor Vegh.

[@geraldmartin7703]

Long ago; but I remember reading that before the movie D.G. had sold about 200 L.P. copies of the Anda recording in the U.S., which gave me an inkling of the size of the classical music market in the States.

[@TRamone01]

One of life's simple pleasures is to be flagged on to a ferry that's just departing. If vinyl is to make good comeback, there should be quality single unit players which are reasonably priced. Thanks for the tag along to vashon.

[@georgejohnson1498]

Not only did I guess right, but actually had this. I rather liked it as a whole. Nowadays, I don't have a complete cycle, but only choice selection of about ten from favourite pianists ... Anda recorded the Two Piano Concerto in C with Clara Haskil, so he must have been well thought of even in the 1950s, or else EMI would chosen someone else for their esteemed older prime soloist! Best wishes from George PS: Off Topic, but concerning the Haydn Symphony series, I finally have a cycle. Decca's set with Dorati and just digging in at random, I love the approach. I suppose that would really be a reference recording, even though it has been done since.I used to have the last two boxes in the 1980s, and I remembered them fondly, but they are even finer than remembered! On the old LPs in mint condition, for as good as a gift.

[@brianthomas2434]

Apparently DG learned from the "2001: A Space Odyssey " affair. Supposedly, after Kubrick had chosen Karajan's recording of "Sunrise " from "Zarathustra ", DG had made a point of not publicizing the fact. As a result, every other recording of the work had a sticker proclaiming "as heard in the film. " Old Herb K. was not pleased, so the story goes.

[@henryoliver2833]

Isn’t the film version from his Decca recording, hence DG not promoting it?

[@maximisaev6974]

You are correct.@@henryoliver2833

[@MorganHayes_Composer.Pianist]

@@henryoliver2833 yes, though the recording credited at the end of the film i seem to remember. This was a stipulation of HvK - -a false move of course.

[@bbailey7818]

​@@henryoliver2833Yes, it was Decca. One of the great corporate bone headed "what were they thinking" moves; right up there with the Mars candy company refusing to allow M&Ms to be used in E.T. which led to a windfall for Reese's.

[@johnwright7557]

I assume Anda/Fricsay is the reference recording for the Bartok concertos? It’s been mine ever since it was released.

[@earlofmar11]

I was going to suggest the same...

[@petercable7768]

This, for all its faults, remains my go to cycle of the Mozart piano concertos. I can only think of one word to describe why that is so, it's just plain 'lovable'. I agree that the earliest concertos are not up to much by Mozarts standards but I do love the 6th concerto. The last movement of that work is a real earworm of a tune. Another cycle I used to have on LP but never bought on cd, to my regret as it seems only to be available in a giant box, is the cycle by Ingrid Haebler. Is there no love for this?

[@johnoconnor683]

I agree that the Anda Mozart cycle is a reference. I wonder, though, if there isn't also a second reference, i.e. Perahia with the English Chamber? The latter certainly gets mentioned in reviews a great deal.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

No, it's not a "second reference."

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

I do think Perahia's is better, though the sound isn't great. In that respect I think Uchida has both overall better playing and better sound, so that's my choice for the best (reference, schmeference).

[@301268bmh]

@@jonathanhenderson9422 Uchida has not done a complete cycle.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

@@301268bmh Yes she did, with Jeffrey Tate and the English Chamber Orchestra on Phillips. All it's "missing" is the concertos for 2 and 3 pianos.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

@@301268bmh Yes she did, with Jeffrey Tate and the English Chamber Orchestra on Phillips. All it's "missing" is the concertos for 2 and 3 pianos, but most recorded cycles leave those out.

[@carlcurtis]

Anda recorded quite a bit with Fricsay (as you know); I wonder how the concertos would have sounded with that team?

[@kellyrichardson3665]

It's true. When the pianist also conducts, essentially the orchestra barely has a conductor at all and is really on their own. Not that it shows, but I can't imagine the piano playing isn't distracted by the soloist's need to balance quick attempts to bat the air at the orchestra whenever there is the slightest break. I think it takes away from both the soloist and the conductor/orchestra.

[@ugolomb]

One of the best conducted cycles also emerged from the same orchestra -- the Schiff/Vegh cycle. On a more general point: Personally, I am neither for nor against the notion of the pianist-as-conductor. Sometimes it's a problem (much of the Perahia cycle, for example, and as well as the Anda); but not always. For my taste, large parts of the Barenboim/ECO or (more recently) the Zacharias/Lausanne cycles have orchestral playing that rivals the best independently-conducted versions in terms of interpretive nuance and in terms of dialogue -- both between piano and orchestra, and within the orchestra itself. And I'm by no means saying these are the *only* examples of fine keyboard-conducted Mozart. (Granted, these same cycles also contain works and movements in which the orchestral playing is a bit indifferent, but that can and does happen with independent conductors as well. Incidentally, while I was somewhat disappointed with the orchestral interpretation in Howard Shelly's incomplete Mozart cycle on Chandos, I actually quite enjoyed his conducting in the Beethoven cycle on the same label -- I'd have expected it to be the other way around)

[@joshuafruend3348]

Dave, an informative video as always; I’ve been looking forward to this. Thanks. Question- I’m sure you’re familiar with Robert Levin’s partial cycle with Christopher Hogwood (I believe he’s finishing it now with another conductor); when and if it is complete, might it become the reference in the period instrument realm? :)

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

I don't know. Only time will tell. Right now, it's Bilson/Gardiner by default.

[@mci5545]

I would love to see a video on the best works that are around 20 minutes long.

[@nattyco]

I thought for one moment you were going to forget about Jeunehomme, my favourite.

[@th1inker55]

Hope you'll have a reference recording video on the Goldberg Variations soon. I imagine it would be Glenn Gould (or would it? I know lots of people love him, and then some people can't stand him) and I think it would be interesting to hear about the differences between the 1955 version and his 1981 version. Appreciate the channel, Dave.

[@marceloforones6939]

Speaking about reference recordings of piano concertos, what about a talk about Brahms’? Although Rubinstein’s are my favorites, I would bet the your opinion would fall on Fleisher/Szell. I’m I right?

[@paulbrower]

Gilels/Jochum.

[@jensguldalrasmussen6446]

Serkin/Szell aren't slouches , too!

[@vinylarchaeologist]

Interesting how in the end it worked the other way around too: I opine that nobody would remember the film Elvira Madigan today, had it not been for this recording and the subsequent nick-naming of that concerto into “Elvira Madigan Concerto”. I admit to not having seen the film, but from the few excerpts I saw it looked pretty forgettable.

[@nicholasmyers3545]

David, it greatly amuses me how when you want to do a snippy snotty accent (i.e. round about 7.20 and thenceforth) you basically revert to an English accent, or three-quarters of the way to it! You had me laughing. I should say that I'm English, and probably speak in a voice not too far from that. Could we even say - do I detect? - that it's a kind of “Gramophone” accent?? By the way, could you think about doing a piece in which you set forth, in your inimitable fashion, your attitude towards Gramophone and whatever beef you may have with the institution? I kind of grew up with Gramophone recommendations and as a thoroughly ignorant and impecunious student in the seventies, I trusted them by and large, especially for the budget discs that were then on the market. As for Mozart. I “imprinted” on the Perahia cycle very strongly, and although I've versions of individual concertos I'm fond of (Brendel, Haskill, etc. ) I've really listened to that cycle over the years to the exclusion of all others. I'm trying to discipline myself to listen to other voices. There are a thousand ways of doing Mozart - so long as it's good playing. I'm thinking of getting the Brautigam cycle, to try something really different. If that's period instrument Mozart, well, I can easily live with it. These pieces you do are a gift, by the way. They're very pedagogical, and you don't allow yourself to get carried away with your enthusiasms or your prejudices. Which are there, as they are for all of us. You also make me laugh like a drain at times. Often, in fact.

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Actually the accent is a parody of a TV commercial made by British Actor John Williams for Columbia House (120 Music Masterpieces). Here's a link to the ad. I thought it was hilarious, especially in the way American advertisers turn to British accents whenever they want to give the impression of "class" or "high end" product: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2rbnXWjYsdmoc0. It just stuck with me.

[@maximisaev6974]

Sometimes all it takes is a popular film to catapult a composer into the spotlight. Does anyone remember that Alan Alda movie from 1981 "The Four Seasons?" I almost wish the film hadn't been made, because once it was released it seemed the world was overwhelmed with Vivaldi. While I love "The Four Seasons," back in those days I got tired of hearing it done to death in shopping malls, elevators, and just about everywhere else you could hang a set of speakers. But hey, it's all about getting a new audience of people willing to slap down their cash, so I shouldn't be such a crab about it. :)

[@jegog.]

I've lost count of how many films have used "Aquarium" from "Carnival of the Animals". The first one I recall is "Days of Heaven"

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

I remember when they were being issued, there was soooo much hype about Perahia as the "new" reference recording. I bought a few discs and though I found his playing rather prim and proper, I found them, in general, pretty dull.

[@artistinbeziers7916]

That Perahia set is a bit disappointing - not least in that the recorded sound technical quality varies HUGELY from disc to disc. Some are great, some are downright terrible. And the playing - yeah - up and down. I prefer Ashkenazy any day. However, Anda is pretty good.

[@ahartify]

No way! Perahia is my own reference recording. Prim it is not - poetic it is!

[@ngershon]

Would you consider Perlman\Levine\VPO Mozart violin concertos a reference?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

No.

[@neilford99]

Grumiaux I hope?

[@gavingriffiths2633]

What is peculiar, I've never met anyone who has actually seen the Elvira Madigan movie....I think the fame of THAT movement came about through radio broadcasts, possibly...

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Lot's of viewers here have seen it and discussed it.

[@noelbertram7783]

Really enjoyed this video. I believe Anda initially didn't want his recording used until he was told he would get royalties for every showing of the film!

[@jegog.]

I saw Elvira Madigan when it came out. It was a big deal then, and definitely brought the music to a much wider audience.

[@bbailey7818]

I've never seen it, either. Maltin gives it three out of four stars but comments, "stylistically this too often resembles a shampoo commercial " (Lots of soft focus slow motion running through meadows and such.)But "canny use of Mozart's music."

[@jlaurson]

"Liebestod as a shampoo commercial" -- one of the slowest films I have seen, but very pretty. Dragged my little stepdaughter to it, who used to object to films on principle, if they weren't made in her lifetime, and she actually liked it. Perhaps the prettiness of it all. Not so much the double-suicide.

[@chrismoule7242]

I am now going to admit freely that I don't go for early Mozart, so I only have the later piano concerti & the later symphonies

[@adastra1351]

So you miss a lot…

[@bbailey7818]

Nothing wrong with that, IMO. I think Concertos 1-8 and symphonies 1-24 are primarily interesting to musicologists. Whereas all of Haydn's symphonies are interesting.

[@ahartify]

If people think classical music people are snobs, they should hear the pop music people! As for no. 21, it is dusappointing how few pianists don't quite hit the mark with this concerto. They can sound wooden, without the requisite cantabile.

[@adamfrye246]

I saw one critic refer to de Larrocha's partial cycle as a "rump" cycle because it only had #9 and #19-27. I wonder if that term is derogatory or means "where the meat is"? Regardless, she did a superb #27.

[@joonaa2751]

Such a shame said cycle was left so incomplete, because it surely would be one of the best if that level of quality was maintained. I think her 21, 23, and 24 are the best.