One may feel rather short changed these days when a CD with a mere 53 minutes of music comes along at full price. However, the interpretations by Christian Zacharias have already gained full plaudits from many critics and commentators and this second volume is similarly excellent with the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra in pretty crack form.
KV 271, 'Jeunhomme' lasts for just over half an hour with the third movement split into three distinct parts. The Andantino is quite delightful as Zacharias plumbs the depths of the work with his usual aplomb and coaxes the orchestra to some inspired highs.
KV 413 is mellower and direct but no less inspired and Zacharias is again master of all that goes on around him. I wouldn't say that these versions pip Curzon or Anda' who remain my perennial favourites in Mozart piano concertos but they do run them quite close.
I remember hearing KV 271 with Diane Ambache and her chamber orchestra way back in 1980 on a Pickwick tape and remember being bowled over by this '#9' as it was incorrectly called then. Today's listeners are spoilt for choice and Zacharias certainly comes up with most of the answers in these two concertos.
Copyright © 2005, Gerald Fenech