This is a great and logical coupling, bringing together Mozart's late Minor key Concertos, number 20 is the darker of the two, written in the key of 'death' [D for D Minor!], the opening of the first movement has that tremendous drone, it really sets the scene for what follows, Brendel is a great Mozartian, and it's good to hear him in this Concerto again, i played this same work just over a year ago today [21st October 2011], it's my favourite Mozart Concerto, and a fantastic work i never tire of hearing again and again.
Alfred Brendel is Austrian, he's now 81, retired from the concert platform, he's still active in other ways, he recorded this work in 1998, the front cover photograph [by Regina Schmecken] is a side profile head shot, nicely capturing detail in black & white, the lettering is contained in a mustard coloured band at the bottom, the Mozart name cleverly laid into the photo, a nice creative idea, with black and white lettering.
As i mentioned above, the opening movement is just tremendous, it's a true marvel of creation, Mozart's best concerto movement, however on this listen i was entranced by the middle movement Romance, it's a lovely delicate movement of music, serene and beautiful at first, it's away from the D Minor opening movement, and into a B Flat Major sweet key, but it's not all sweetness as there's a turbulent G Minor middle section, .
Here's Mitsuko Uchida playing the central Romance second movement on YouTube.
As i mentioned above, the opening movement is just tremendous, it's a true marvel of creation, Mozart's best concerto movement, however on this listen i was entranced by the middle movement Romance, it's a lovely delicate movement of music, serene and beautiful at first, it's away from the D Minor opening movement, and into a B Flat Major sweet key, but it's not all sweetness as there's a turbulent G Minor middle section, .
