Mozart Piano Sonatas

Hi Stephen

I have the Uchida set that you mention and can say that imho they are every bit as good as her Piano Concertos. Her playing is very much to our liking and we tend to listen to her interpretation over the others that we have. I have not heard of the selection you mention but will try and find them; after all, you can never have too much of a good thing can you?

Where’s George when you need him?

Regards

Peter.

Peter, have you got the newer Uchida set of concertos where she conducts too?

SJ,

Uchida's Cleveland recordings could be considered interpretatively complementary to her earlier set with the ECO and Jeffrey Tate: her earlier (complete) cycle classical, sober, occasionally precious, the new recordings (four concertos so far) live, bold, romantic and big boned. 

I wonder how she would do the later sonatas nowadays: certainly pianists like Brendel (in his wonderful late set of Mozart recordings) have dug deeper than Uchida with compelling results.

Cheers,

EJ

If you want to hear Mozart piano sonatas played with complete individuality, search out the Gulda Mozart Tapes on DG. Not hi-fi at all (these were rehearsal tapes, but the masters were lost, and the transfers on these CDs were taken off cassette copies), but the performances have a drive and muscularity unmatched elsewhere. Friedrich Gulda was an underappreciated genius, and these performances bear that out, in full measure.

PS: Mozart is one of George's blind spots, so don't look for guidance there!

If you want a really really unusual version try Glenn Gould ..

Personally I really enjoy it -- he does his best to make Mozart sound like Bach

But making Mozart sound like Bach is hardly an aim in itself!

Gould's Bach is best left to his own Bach recordings.

Of course, you can never have too many sets of great music.  A very special set, for me, is from Maria Joao Pires.  Next to this I do also enjoy Brendel, Uchida, Barenboim and Wurtz.  Once in a while I'll pull out the Gulda too but not nearly as often.

Uchida's sonata set is occassionally very romantic; I have had it for a long time, and I think it does need a corrective 'classical' set. The old Walter Klien set on Vox is very good in this way, as is Michael Endres on Oehms. It doesn't hurt to collect a few Brendel recordings either. Or indeed Maria Joao Pires, pref the earlier recording on Erato / Denon.

The funny thing is, this is in many ways not Mozart's most rewarding music, it rarely has that abundant character his best work has, and yet you need to have them.

Hi Stephen

No, I have the recordings on Philips dating from the mid eighties and re-issued around 2001. All recorded in the Henry Wood Hall, London and included in a volume in the Philips's Complete Mozart Edition issued to mark the bicentenary of the great mans death.

Peter

Peter I have those too and find them very enjoyable

best wishes

Steve