Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Piano Concertos: No. 20 in D minor, K 466 (1785) [33:36]; No. 27 in B flat,
K595 (1791) [29:34]
Evgeny Kissin (piano/director); Kremerata Baltica
rec. Herkulessaal, Munich, 17-19 June 2008. DDD
EMI CLASSICS 50999 6 26645 2 [63:16]
Releases by Kissin are never less than fascinating: frozen moments captured
along the way of this major pianist’s career. They can be a little erratic
as Kissin’s flawless technique marries itself to his growing maturity. Good
to report that this issue, then, is an almost unqualified success.
The first movement of No. 27 is brisk, a breath of fresh air if one compares
it to the recently issued de Larrocha/LPO/Solti on Decca 478 2420 - recorded
December 1977, there receiving its first international release. Kissin is
all style, his orchestra responding with spot-on ensemble. In Kissin’s case,
orchestral textures are light and frothy, his own articulation matching them
exactly. Perhaps Kissin lacks the late-Mozart repose and serenity of Larrocha
- or, for example, Brendel and the ASMF under Brendel on Philips - but his
viewpoint is refreshing in the extreme. That he directs seems to strengthen
the link between himself and the ensemble - particularly the wind and horns.
Having seen Kissin on a number of occasions, his general demeanour always
seems rather stiff, so it would be interesting to see him in action directing
an ensemble. The cadenza (Mozart’s) is, overall, lighter than often heard,
making deeper undercurrents, when they arrive, seem all the more pregnant
with meaning. The evenness of fast passage-work will come as no surprise to
Kissin admirers, but heard here in the context of this mature interpretation,
it feels as if everything has come together.
Perhaps there is one miscalculation on Kissin’s part at 9:35 in the first
movement, where the final note of a treble ascent is over-emphasised. The
rarity of the occurrence makes it stand out all the more - would it even be
noticed in a live performance or is it the repeated listenings on disc that
make it obvious? The slow movement is miraculous in achieving intimacy but
encompassing outbursts of surprising passion. The tempo of the finale is again
brisk, but there is not a hint of rushing or crushing in the semiquaver activity.
There is, however, a sense of urgency not often encountered in this movement,
a sense that runs into the gripping cadenza.
This is not Kissin’s first Mozart No. 20. He has recorded it before with the
Moscow Virtuosi under Spivakov (Russian Revelation and Brilliant Classics).
Alas, I have not heard this Russian version; on Russian Revelation, it is
coupled with Piano Concerto No. 12, the “little” A major. The orchestral exposition
to the present K466’s first movement is darkly shifting, almost dangerous.
Its energy is vastly different from that of, say, Barenboim/ECO (EMI).
Barenboim’s is in your face; Kissin’s more subtle but no less involving. The
same rapport as is in evidence in K595 is everywhere here. Woodwind lines
intertwine in an illuminating way. Kissin’s way with syncopation - so vital
in this movement - is at once alive and threatening. Accents can be more forceful
than one might perhaps expect, but this fits in perfectly with the reading.
Here, the cadenza is Beethoven’s. Kissin makes it into such a dramatic fantasia
that it almost seems to have links to the extended opening solo of Beethoven’s
own Choral Fantasy. The central Romanze flows beautifully, its tempo
enabling its own central outburst to have the perfect mixture of onward motion
and angst. It is the determined bite of each note of the initial ascent of
K466’s final movement that sets out Kissin’s stall. This is a fitting finale
and, again, Beethoven’s cadenza is perfect in its combination of summary and
culmination.
The gap between the two concertos feels too short, if one opts to listen straight
through. The end of K466 needs to register fully before one embarks on the
very different K595. The recording throughout the disc (Producer, David Saks
and Engineer, Arne Akselberg) is clear and unfailingly involving.
In summary, I enjoyed these performances more than I did the Kissin/LSO/Davis
reading of No. 24 from 2008 (coupled with the Schumann) (see
review). This is a most successful release.
Colin Clarke
I enjoyed these performances more than I did the Kissin/LSO/Davis reading
… A most successful release.