Robert Levin - Lecture on Mozart's personal forte piano | ECM Records

ECM New Series releases the first complete recording of W.A. Mozart’s piano sonatas on the composer’s own fortepiano (Anton Walter, 1782). This comprehensive, 7-CD boxed set also comprises unfinished fragments by the Austrian composer, here completed by American pianist and Mozart-scholar Robert Levin in consideration of Mozart’s idioms and the compositional mannerisms of his era. Robert Levin’s interpretations of the piano sonatas, too, are informed by the performance practice customs of the First Viennese School, including improvised elements and decorations in the repeats. The recordings are accompanied by a 100-page booklet featuring an extensive essay on the sonatas by Mozarteum-director and Mozart-expert Ulrich Leisinger as well as a performer’s note by Levin, manuscript-scores and more.
With the aim of a most authentic delivery, the entirety of the sonatas are performed on Mozart’s own fortepiano, whose limited width of roughly 100 cm combined with numerous other particular construction-related details make for a distinguished, woody sound that brings out the characteristics of Mozart’s sonatas with special transparency. The piano was built by Anton Gabriel Walter, most likely in 1782, and, as Mozart-expert and Mozarteum-director Ulrich Leisinger explains in the liner notes, “is noteworthy for a silvery sound rich in overtones, and for its surprisingly distinct bass notes, compared to those of a modern concert grand piano.” Mozart used this specific piano from 1785 on.
The box set is available here: ECM.lnk.to/MozartPianoSonatasID
Website: www.ecmrecords.com
Facebook: / ecmrecords
Instagram: / ecm_records

[@srothbardt]

We’re very lucky that this instrument survived at all let alone in such good condition and obviously with such good care. And that we have such a great musician as Mr. Levin to play it.

[@Don-md6wn]

I bought this set of CDs and am 3 discs in. It is a beautiful sounding fortepiano and the playing of Mr. Levin is superb. With the quicker decay and less powerful bass of a fortepiano, it is so easy to hear all the voices in the counterpoint clearly.

[@asimyadav6639]

Exquisite sound indeed, and such an insight on Mozart…look forward to this release. Thank you.

[@olivierfergant7024]

Enregistrement exceptionnel des sonates de Mozart par un grand interprète d’un professionnalisme hors norme, des ornements renversants d’une beauté sans comparaison. ♥️🎶🎹 0:20

[@andrewwarden7395]

What temperament tuning or tunings are in use on this collection? Just curious; it sounds amazing.

[@ClassicHolic]

Quarter-tone Meantone

[@user-xn8by2iv2x]

when is the release date?

[@asimyadav6639]

It will be released on 16 Sep 2022…happy listening. This looks special.

[@ignacioclerici5341]

@@asimyadav6639 it's amazing how he improvised as Mozart would do in his time, on the repeats, absolute genius,

[@asimyadav6639]

@@ignacioclerici5341 I have been listening to this, will love it if ECM issues a few more video recording…

[@ignacioclerici5341]

@@asimyadav6639 listen to k 333, sonata 13, if you can play it, or know it by heart, it will blow your mind how Levin treats the repeats, how he adds different melodies and ornaments all over the place, with a taste almost unachievable. I hope i can one day be as good as Levin. Actually, as Mozart, but thats a bit much to ask. Lol

[@user-ji7yq8rw2o]

買う買う買う買う買う

[@johnpaterson6112]

I suggest that this instrument (which presumably lacks a metal frame) is unlikely to play as it did 240 years ago. It sounds clanky to me. Perhaps a modern reproduction would be better.

[@matthewwhitehouse301]

The instrument builder Paul McNulty makes copies of Walter and Stein fortepianos and they all have a similar sound which is unique to the Viennese aesthetic. Mozarts piano here has a rather bright timbre which could lend itself to the age of the wood but it’s not uncommon to hear newly built fortepianos which sound alike.