Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
Piano Duets, Volume 1.
Sonatas - C, K521; D, K381; C, K19d.
Andante with Five Variations in G, K501.
Fantasia in F minor for Mechanical Organ, K608.
Jenö Jándo, Zsuzsa
Kollár (piano duet).
Naxos 8.553518 [DDD]
[68'58]
Crotchet
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The booklet does not state whether Jándo and Kollár are a
pre-established duet partnership, or whether they have been united for recording
purposes. They certainly enter a field where long-established duos have long
reigned, most notably in the form of Christoph Eschenbach/Justus Franz (two
CDs at mid-price on DG 435 042-2) and the irrepressible Pekinel sisters (on
Teldec 2292-46014-2, a three-disc set). Jándo and Kollár knock
neither off their respective perches, but having said that, there are far
worse ways of spending an hour and ten minutes. Ornaments are always neat
and stylish, and the two parts are truly equal when necessary: the first
movement of the Sonata K521 that opens the disc, for example. They play with
a most affecting delicacy in the Andante of this Sonata and it is
only the last movement that disappoints by being under-tempo.
Doubts creep in during the D major Sonata, K381, however. Accents seem forced,
the Andante is faceless and the finale is over-heavy.
The juxtaposition of the F minor Fantasia and the C major Sonata,
K19d (the latter written when Mozart was nine!) is a rather cruel
one. The players enjoy the cerebral world of the Fantasia (although
they miss the subtlety of the ending). Whilst the first movement of the Sonata
emerges as simple but effective, the rondo is positively over-repetitious,
and Jándo and Kollár can do nothing to disguise this fact no
matter how hard they try.
The recording is adequate, nothing more.
Reviewer
Colin Clarke
Performance
Recording
