Mozart - Piano Concerto 24 [Barenboim-English Chamber Orchestra] This is a very apt coupling, two late Mozart Piano Concertos, both in a Minor key, although i think that D Minor is the better of the two key signatures, C Minor [No 24] has some interesting cousins, Beethoven's Third Concerto was written in the same key, but for me Mozart's Concerto 24 has more in common with Beethoven's Fourth, which i played yesterday, the coupling on this disc i played last month [27th March 2011].
Daniel Barenboim is Argentinian, now 58 years old, he made this recording earlier in his career in 1971, i like the booklet cover, Barenboim deep in concentration at his piano.
The middle movement of this Concerto is one of Mozart's creations of truly sublime lyricism, though not as good as say his Concerto 21, nevertheless it really impressed me here, solo piano starts off really sweet and simple [0:00-0:22], at first it seems that this is going to be quite a childishly naive little ditty, and the orchestra and piano take turns at presenting this simple tune, but the woodwind take a turn for the more complex and ambiguous [1:50-2:09], and it's this trio of oboes, bassoon, and flute that have their own little chamber party [2:32-2:53] and i especially like the way the bassoon bleats away nicely here, such an individual instrument, Mozart uses his 'Gran Partita' skills to give us another different 'wind band' chamber party [4:00-4:22], this one features clarinets, and Mozart just can't let this little band have one go, but brings them back again [4:45-5:06], and so it goes, the piano plays inbetween these wind episodes, there's a great chamber feel to the whole movement, it's very cosy and sparse in a way, but so friendly too, as if everyone's having fun.
Here's Daniel Gortler playing the slow movement on YouTube.
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