Piano Concerto, 19, 20, : Zacharias(P)/ Lausanne Co

W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) Piano Concertos Vol. 4
Concertos KV 459 and 466

Christian Zacharias, piano + cond.
Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanner

Digital Recording: 2007
SACD Hybrid
CD STEREO/ SACD STEREO/ SACD SURROUND

A stroke of genius
Two piano concertos in the space of just two months . and in the midst of preparations for Don Giovanni, his renunciation of popular trends towards a more individual form of expression… The 28-year-old Mozart challenged himself, and indeed, his Viennese audience, with ever new ideas. Christian Zacharias takes on that challenge, together with the Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne, and presents Vol. 4 of the complete recordings in absolutely top form.

Drawing a line
Shortly before Christmas 1784 Mozart finished the F major Concerto K459, which brought to an end a year in which he had given the music world six of his "great" piano concertos. The entire work is artfully orchestrated, the movements chosen with great insight: first a bold theme of march-like character, then a slow section with flights into the expansive regions of the circle of fifths and finally the furioso finale reminiscent of Haydn.

A flash of inspiration
The end of the year brought a change. While Mozart had hitherto sent his father news of "brilliant" concerts . "somewhere midway between too difficult and too simple . easy on the ear", he now began making unusual demands. The passion of his composing style and the markedly tragic timbre of the work has understandably been seen as anticipating Don Giovanni, a comparison which went far beyond the shared home key. And now listen to the clever cadenza which Christian Zacharias has conjured up for this work.

A ray of hope
For ten years now, the pianist, chamber musician and conductor Christian Zacharias has been working with MDG, an exclusive partnership which at every level has produced only the most outstanding recordings, as impressively witnessed by a further Echo Award in 2008 and the title of "Artist of the Year" from the international record critics. ( MDG )