Mozart sonata

[moon1]

Hello pianists,

Which recording is the best for intepretation of Mozart s complete pianosonatas?
How long duration is the following sonatas  KV 330 C-major and KV 457 c-minor and fantasie in d-minor ?

appreciate of any replies soon! Thanks!!

[kreso]

Hello pianists,

Which recording is the best for intepretation of Mozart s complete pianosonatas?
How long duration is the following sonatas  KV 330 C-major and KV 457 c-minor and fantasie in d-minor ?

appreciate of any replies soon! Thanks!!

KV.330 about 18 min, Lang Lang plays it for 18 min
KV.457 13-15 min it depends which tempo you play
Fantasie d-minor 6 min-Pogorelich

For complete sonatas first chopice is Mitsuko Uchida (Phillips 5cd), then I would suggest Walter Gieseking (I think EMI) Barenbiom (EMI) and Pires (DG) Schiff (Decca), Zacharias (EMI).
For some individuals Pogorelich, Gilels, Richter, and CLARA HASKIL  (one of the best!!)

[mikey6]

Don't know how many sonata's he's recorded but Perahia's Concerto's are stunning.

[mcgillcomposer]

All I can say is DO NOT get Barenboim's recording.  It's boring...nothing too original...he's one of the super-size me pianists who plays everything...but nothing extraordinarily.  Another example of this is Ashkenazy.  Both are very good pianists, and have a huge repertoire, but they are by no means as exciting as a Richter, Horowitz, Gould...who all ha incredibly fresh ideas.

- A

[mikey6]

All I can say is DO NOT get Barenboim's recording.  It's boring...nothing too original...he's one of the super-size me pianists who plays everything...but nothing extraordinarily.  Another example of this is Ashkenazy.  Both are very good pianists, and have a huge repertoire, but they are by no means as exciting as a Richter, Horowitz, Gould...who all ha incredibly fresh ideas.

- A

I'm inclined to debate that.  I'm not familiar with too many of Barenboim's recordings, but I've heard some of his Mozart Concertos adn whislt being rather romantic playing, there is soe stunning playing.  From what I can remember, his Mozart 14 with the Berlin Phil at the piano was amazing.
As For Mr. Ash, his Rachmaninov has always been admired and I have his Brahms violin sonatas which I like very much.
I haven't heard their entire repertoire but they do have areas in which they excel otherwise they would have achieved their status.  Gould (who you mention!) fits into this category - his Bach is....un-imititable but his other interpretations are open to wild debate.

[mcgillcomposer]

I suppose the issue comes down to a subjective debate concerning personal taste.  One thing I will debate, however, is your comment that the fact that they are successful somehow proves their respective artistic achievements.  Although this is often the case, it also frequently occurs that talent and fame do NOT coincide.

Please do not take this remark to mean that I do not find Barenboim and Ashkenazy to be talented...they are very talented.  My original claim was simply one of comparison in which I stated that I found their playing to be inferior to that of the "higher-level" masters, such as: Richter, Horowitz, Gould.

Seems like a good debate is going to come of this

Take care.

- Andrew

[contrapunctus]

If you want to listen to any work in a completely new way, buy a Gould recording. He is amazing in his abilities to play the same piece in hundreds of different ways (especially fugues). He even found a new way to play the first movement of Moonlight! Although Glenn said he only recorded the Mozart Sonatas to show how bad they are, the recordings are still pure genius.

[mcgillcomposer]

If you want to listen to any work in a completely new way, buy a Gould recording. He is amazing in his abilities to play the same piece in hundreds of different ways (especially fugues). He even found a new way to play the first movement of Moonlight! Although Glenn said he only recorded the Mozart Sonatas to show how bad they are, the recordings are still pure genius.

AMEN to that...and to think that so many people knock his Gould recordings.

- A

[mikey6]

I suppose the issue comes down to a subjective debate concerning personal taste.  One thing I will debate, however, is your comment that the fact that they are successful somehow proves their respective artistic achievements.  Although this is often the case, it also frequently occurs that talent and fame do NOT coincide.

Ok.  But I think in the classical field where the appeal of it hasn't boiled down to sex appeal (like most pop music), it's still extroardinarily hard to make it!  And the select few that do obviously have something new/different/personal to say about each work.  I guess my arguement is that world famous/respected classical musicians aren't world famous for playing badly.

Although Glenn said he only recorded the Mozart Sonatas to show how bad they are, the recordings are still pure genius.

Although it's common knowledge that the sonata's aren't his best works, they do contain some great music - otherwise they would not get played. Compare to his Overture, Allemande and Courante - Mozart going through a transitional stage and definitley not his greatest stuff, has barely any recordings (none that I know about anyhow).  Generally each sonata has 1 weak movement, which is no excuse to can them.  The amin and last dmaj are masterworks, the 'Durnitz' when compared to other sonatas' of it's time is far ahead.
I haven't heard Gould's recordings but I'm sure if one hate's a piece and want's to show it off, one would be inclined to severley augment it's defects.  And Gould being the eccentric that he was....

[mcgillcomposer]

Ok.  But I think in the classical field where the appeal of it hasn't boiled down to sex appeal (like most pop music), it's still extroardinarily hard to make it!  And the select few that do obviously have something new/different/personal to say about each work.  I guess my arguement is that world famous/respected classical musicians aren't world famous for playing badly.

I agree...they don't play badly at all. 

[Mozartian]

Barenboim's isn't bad, actually (I have his Mozart & Beethoven sonata cycles). Lipatti plays BEAUTIFUL Mozart, as does Fiorentino (I've only heard him play the 3rd movement of the a minor but WOW does he ever play it amazingly!). Fiorentino turns everything he touches into gold, lol...