This disc is almost self-recommending. Three of the best forte piano specialists, a spirited period instrument orchestra, and the stars of the show, three superb modern copies of pianos from Mozart's day by Walther and Schantz. And of course, Mozart himself.

Some listeners shy away from these period instruments, feeling them to be creaky, clattery and twangy ancestors of today's glorious Steinway pianos. The best way to approach these wooden-framed pianos is to view them as instruments in their own right, and see the big iron-framed modern instruments as a different species. The forte pianos had great virtues for Mozart, Beethoven and other Classical composers. Their actions allowed expressive changes in touch and volume impossible on the harpsichord. They offered very well articulated passage work, and the distinctly different tone colours of their bass, mid and upper ranges were highly prized. Although their range was limited to fewer octaves, chords and rapid passages could be used in the bass register without sounding blurred and muddy as on modern pianos. Incidentally, following period practice, the pianists join the orchestra in the tuttis, playing the role of continuo - surprisingly rarely done on many period concerto recordings. This was a practise followed even beyond Beethoven, who expected it in his own concertos. One advantage of this was that soloists were able to warm up and play themselves in; the forte piano sound also enriched that of the orchestra.

The instrumental virtues of these reconstructed pianos are superbly demonstrated on this BIS recording. After the tutti of K.V 365 has subsided, listen to Lubimov's Walter instrument enter, light-toned and silvery. He is followed by Brautigam on a different Walter copy, with a smoother, richer treble sound and a stronger bass. All three pianos have distinctive personalities. The players clearly enjoyed the opportunity to play together immensely, and their display of sheer musicianship, love of the instruments and joy in performing Mozart positively embraces the listener. This is not the mythic 'Dresden China' Mozart, but the muscular, headstrong and confident young Mozart of the Salzburg Period, boiling with ideas and ready to play tricks at every opportunity. The Haydn Sinfonietta Wien are more than willing participants in this exuberant approach. Their impeccable ensemble provides rhythmic fire and precision or sweetness and tenderness as required.

Characterful woodwind solos engage in conversations with the pianists, especially in the Andantes, where fantasy reigns and the pianists spontaneously decorate their melodic lines. The Rondos would bring the house down at a concert, with wickedly skipping rhythms and throw-away lines which positively wink at the audience. In the Three Piano Concerto, Lubimov, Huss and Brautigam show off their own virtuosic talents with glittering roulades, vying with one another exactly as Mozart and his own fellow soloists must have done, and this exciting but friendly competition in sheer musicianship is a joy to hear.

Sonics, mastered at quite a high level, are typical of the BIS house style, capturing the Austrian church atmosphere, but immediate, vibrant and full of detail. There is a fine bass line from the lower strings. The pianos are placed in front of the orchestra as usual, and in the three-piano concerto, where Mozart starts a melodic line or scale with one piano, he hands the remainder successively to the others. This gives the fascinating impression of having a giant piano keyboard between your speakers, where musical lines often flow from one side to the other!

Strictly, there are only two concertos on this disc, as the E flat for two pianos is repeated on tracks 7-9, but in a version arranged for Vienna, in which Mozart considerably enlarged the orchestra. These additions rather change the character of the piece to a grander one, and it almost sounds like a new work.

With the usual superb BIS presentation, including a good essay on Mozart's love affair with the forte piano and notes on the thre concertos, I would highly recommend this issue.

Copyright © 2007 John Miller and HRAudio.net

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