Geza Anda's Mozart

It's a classic, by all means, but, to me, it sounds old and old-fashioned. The sound, for my demanding system, is a bit "rusty" (not too natural and convincing).

I prefer lately some newer, very well recorded versions: on modern piano : the Zacharias one in SACD on MDG, and in fortepiano: the already initiated cycle with Brautigam on BIS (also on SACD). Personally, I believe the fortepiano brings us closer to the "real" sound of the concertos of this period and Mozart's in particular.

Finally, there are a lot of very fine individual recordings of the concertos to give a good try. (Try to find some very bright recordings of Badura-Skoda on Transart).

Parla

I have never dipped into the Anda cycle, but I might one day.

I grew up on the Schiff/Vegh and Bilson/Gardiner cycles. I must say whatever my thoughts about Andras Schiff I always thought Sandor Vegh's conducting was a miracle of grace, whit and bite. There is an easy trap in Mozart's music - he always seemed to me to have much more of the devil in him than given credit for (although certainly not the incredible ass as portrayed in 'Amadeus'). I always thought Vegh got that balance right.

I suspect the Bilson cycle has dated now (the set is long ago consigned to storage, awaiting my return to a permanent residence!) but what I remember was the drama in the playing and the rough edges only made it more so - the propulsion of some of the outer movements reminded me constantly of the composer of 'Don Giovanni' and 'Cosi'. Both those operas contain great beauties, but also expose ugly truths.

I may agree with you, HMV, on the Orfeo/Vegh, but the Piano Concertos on Decca, with a Schiff not on the brightest side of his pianism, is just a good performance on its own merits, but not a reference one. The recording itself is an average one, nothing truly detailed or spectacular.

However, if you enjoy his performances on the particular recordings, that's what counts, after all...(for you).

Parla

...That would have been another story altogether. Lupu is a true poet of the piano, but, at the same time, such an individual pianist, so difficult to anticipate the outcome of his artistry.

HMV, I am fully aware of your kind of disdain for period performances, but have you ever tried to listen to the Piano Concertos of Amadeus (and Haydn e.g.) on the Fortepiano. It's a revelation and definitely closer to how these works sound, compared to the original score and...scope! Try the new cycle of Brautigam on BIS. It might touch you, somehow. We should not forget that the  works of this period (up even till Mendelssohn's time) sound like transcriptions on the modern Piano. Anyway, maybe this is the subject of another thread.

Parla

I only have one CD  of Anda's Mozart concerti (nos 17 & 21) and it's very enjoyable with that excellent immediate and present analogue sound we seldom get today with digital orchestral recordings. Not perhaps quite so refined as Perahia whilst Barenboim's first set contains some fine interpretations but is a bit variable. I did hear Anda live playing 2 or 3 concerti consecutively with the ECO but my main memory of the concert was that the ECO were not on top form as I had heard them live with Barenboim or on the Barenboim and Perhahia recordings. Personally I find fortepiano/period instrument performances of these sublime works unlistenable, a topic I and others have discussed elsewhere on one of these forums some time ago, as we did the half dozen or so wonderful Vox recordings of these works from Brendel, much freer than his later recordings, playing along with tuttis, with humour, variable speeds and a great sense of joie de vivre: quite superb.

Sorry to come back, 33lp, on the subject of the Fortepiano and period performances, but, I find myself compelled to.

The works of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and beyond till at least Mendelssohn's time were written for instruments with many limitations (which modern instruments do not have anymore), different timbre and additional colours in the sound. One of the main differences is the return of the played notes and the sustainability of them. With a "heavy" Steinway or a refined Fazioli or a sophisticated Bosendorfer, Mozart sound "easy", very refined and mannerist. If, on top of that, we add the "peculiarities" of every great pianist, like Brendel, Anda, Uchida etc., the composer and the composer's work is almost transcribed or "arranged".

So, to sum up: with modern sophisticated instruments and "great" pianists, the sublimity of these works is "enhanced" (becomes larger than life and beautified), while with the simplicity and the originality of the period instruments, the sublimity is restored.

Therefore, if the fortepiano is "unlistenable", then...think it over. The truth is not always "polished". In Bach, this is utterly obvious and the differences unbelievably striking, since the harpsichord is an entirely different instrument than the modern piano. On modern piano, Bach's works sound almost easy, flowing, running, while on harpsichord they are an Herculian task for the performer and the listener too.

Having said that, I don't mean to dismiss the "tradition" of modern piano playing these works. I just defend the need to compare and, eventually, embrace the original instruments and performances as well.

Parla

But, how can you judge/identify the "music quality", Oscar, if you don't have a reliably good and realistic recording? All these comments you gave us about Barenboim. Anda, Schiff etc. might be far from the truth, if the recordings you have and the equipment you use are not that "reliable".

Parla