MOZART PIANO CONCERTOS
Nos 19 & 23

Description

Piano Concerto No.17

Mozart must have held this concerto in high esteem as he took it on tour with him after it was completed. Like the concerto nicknamed the “Coronation”, he performed this concerto at the festivities for the coronation of Emperor Leopold ll.
When he was writing this concerto, he was also working on his set of six string quartets which he dedicated to Joseph Haydn. My dear friend and colleague, Joshua Rifkin has pointed out that the refrain of the Finale is derived from a theme in the middle of the last movement of Haydn’s symphony No. 78; one might say it’s an (un)conscious tribute to the great master…

Piano Concerto No. 23

Of the three piano concertos that Mozart wrote which have clarinets in the orchestra, I would have to say that without a doubt this one is my favourite. The sunny, smiling first movement, the dark, sombre tones of the middle movement and the exuberant finale all add up to something no less than perfection!

Have a listen and see if you agree.

W.A.MOZART: PIANO CONCERTOS

Piano concerto No. 19 in F major, K 459
Piano concerto No. 23 in A major, K 488

Ronald Brautigam, fortepiano

Kölner Akademie
Michael Alexander Willens, conductor

BIS
Eine Co-Produktion mit Deutschlandfunk
T.T.: 50’00