Mozart - Piano Concerto 20 [Brendel/ Mackerras-Scottish Chamber Orchestra]
Here's a disc i couldn't resist, Alfred Brendel coupling the two late minor key Concertos together, it's good to hear him in number 20 [my favourite Mozart], Brendel uses his own cadenzas, and has his own way of embellishing things, putting his individual stamp on this work, it's also good to have a Chamber Orchestra, there's an intimacy here as well, i haven't enjoyed the benefit of a Brendel disc of Mozart before, so this is a welcome disc to my collection.
Alfred Brendel is Austrian, he hit 80 earlier this year, and is now retired from playing professionally, he recorded this Concerto in 1998, i like the front cover photograph [by Regina Schmeken], of a side profile of Brendel's head, in grainy black and white, the name Mozart is cleverly written below in a mustard colour, with different fonts for the names and the works on offer, all working out into a pleasing whole.
Well on this listen it's the first movement i enjoyed so much,.
Here's Alfred Brendel playing the first movement of Piano Concerto 20 on YouTube, with Neville Marriner conducting.
