Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Piano Sonatas (complete) (c.1775-1789)
Maria João Pires (piano)
rec. January-February 1974, Iino Hall, Tokyo.
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94271 [5 CDs: 59:41 + 64:53 + 66:28 + 66:16 + 67:16]
One of the earliest DDD recordings in existence, this five CD set of recordings
which originally appeared on Denon, is the latest and cheapest incarnation
of Maria João Pires’ recordings made in 1974 for Nippon Columbia when she
was not yet thirty. She was then in the plenitude of her youthful powers:
fresh, artless, technically flawless and wholly, selflessly dedicated to the
advocacy of some of Mozart’s happiest inventions.
The extraordinary thing about these recordings is that the Brilliant producers
have never seen any need to re-master them and they are right. There is none
of the edge or glassiness often associated with early digital technology:
the sound is warm, rich and full despite its 37 years. My only observation
regarding the clarity of the sonics is that occasionally I would like a little
more weight and definition in the left hand, but whether that is due to interpretative
or recording choices, I cannot say.
I recently spent some time becoming acquainted with the Mozart Sonatas as
played by Walter Klien (VoxBox 5026 and 5046), who strikes me as a similarly
unselfconscious artist who placed delicacy, freshness and charm above the
desire to stamp his personality upon the music. I do not necessarily always
want to hear Beethoven played in this refined, non-interventionist manner
– but Beethoven is not Mozart, whose music responds to Pires’ simplicity of
utterance. Having said that, both artists can make very different choices
of temp, as in the most famous music in the set, the “Alla Turca” from K331
where Klien’s playful impetuousness contrasts markedly with Pires’ wistful
poise. He hurtles through it at 3:07 while she takes literally half as long
again. Both seems to work but perhaps a more revealing comparison may be made
between their accounts of K 570, a more mature work redolent of Mozart’s later,
more profound style. To me, Pires captures somewhat more of the gentle, sighing
melancholy of the Adagio; she is surprisingly free with her use of pauses
and rubato and seems to make the silences sing – yet I still love the serenity
of Klien’s steadier pulse. Pires is similarly free with the tempi in the Adagio
of K 576 and achieves a hesitant intimacy which Klien eschews in favour a
more flowing melodious quality which is more andante than adagio. Again, both
approaches work so well that I do not express a preference.
“Gramophone” reviews of Pires’ Mozart over the years have been uniformly lukewarm;
I appreciate that not everyone responds to the delicacy and grace of her interpretations
and can see how more impetus and thrust might be desired but I hear no lack
of tension at moments such as minor key recapitulation in the Allegro maestoso
of K310.
If you do like her style, this super-bargain set in an attractive clamshell
box with good notes represents a compelling buy.
Ralph Moore
This super-bargain set represents a compelling buy.
Track listing
CD1
Sonata No. 1 in C K279 [11:59]
1 I. Allegro
2 II. Andante
3 III. Allegro
Sonata No.2 in F K280 [11:11]
4 I. Allegro assai
5 II. Adagio
6 III. Presto
Sonata No.3 in B flat K281 [13:25]
7 I. Allegro
8 II. Andante amoroso
9 II. Rondeau; Allegro
Sonata No.4 in E flat K282 [13:25]
10 I. Adagio
11 II. Menuetto
12 III. Allegro
Sonata No.5 in G K283 [10:08]
13. I. Allegro
14 II. Andante
15 III. Presto
CD2
Sonata No.6 in D K284 [25:14]
1 I. Allegro
2 II. Rondeau en polonaise; Andante
3 III. Andante (Theme & Variations)
Sonata No.7 in C K309 [18:38]
4 I. Allegro con spirito
5 II. Andante un poco adagio
6 III. Rondeau; Allegretto grazioso
Sonata No.9 in A minor K310 [14:46]
7 I. Allegro maestoso
8 II. Andante cantabile con espressione
9 III. Presto
10 Rondo in D K485 [4:59]
CD3
Sonata No.8 in D K311 [15:48]
1 I. Allegro con spirito
2 II. Andante con espressione
3 III. Rondeau; Allegro
Sonata No.10 in C K330 [15:19]
4 I. Allegro moderato
5 II. Andante cantabile
6 III. Allegretto
Sonata No.11 in A K331 [25:27]
7 I. Andante grazioso
8 II. Menuetto
9 III. Alla Turca: Allegretto
10 Rondo in A minor K511
CD4
Sonata No.12 in F K332 [16:25]
1 I. Allegro
2 II. Adagio
3 III. Allegro assai
Sonata No.13 in B flat K333 [19:08]
4 I. Allegro
5 II. Andante cantabile
6 III. Allegretto grazioso
7 Fantasia in C minor K475
Sonata No.14 in C minor K457 [18:33]
8 I. Allegro molto
9 II. Adagio
10 III. Allegro assai
CD5
Sonata No.15 in F K533 & 494 [20:11]
1 I. Allegro
2 II. Andante
3 III. Rondeau; Allegretto
Sonata No.16 in C K545 [9:07]
4 I. Allegro
5 II. Andante
6 III. Rondo
Sonata No.17 in B flat K570 [15:20]
7 I. Allegro
8 II. Adagio
9 III. Allegretto
Sonata No.18 in D K576 [15:59]
10 I. Allegro
11 II. Adagio
12 III. Allegretto
13 Fantasia in D minor K397 [5:58]