Mozart: Piano Concertos 15 & 20

Mozart Piano Concertos
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Artist: Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Antoine de Bavier, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Genre: Classical
Label: ICA Classics

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli was at the height of his powers when he played these two Mozart concertos at the Ludwigsburg Festival in Germany in July 1956. The playing is really quite extraordinary – not just speedy, but also forceful and insistent in ways that most players go out of their way to avoid in Mozart. There's nothing in the slightest bit crude in Michelangeli's approach. Has the sophistication of mind, finger and ear to make sure of that, and also a control of micro-detail that's always something to marvel at. The sheer vitality he exudes is well matched by the conducting of Antoine de Bavier. The recording, however, does have some moments of distortion.
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Michael Dervan

Michael Dervan

Michael Dervan is a music critic and Irish Times contributor