There is a sort of
déjà vu associated with
new issues of Ashkenazy in Mozart, given
his long association with this composer,
and especially his Decca recordings
with the Philharmonia. I particularly
treasure an LP of his No. 22, a big-boned
reading that, at the time in my development
when I bought it, struck me as just
right. Here he is in two well contrasting
works with a much less well known, Italian,
orchestra recorded live in Vienna and
issued on a Japanese label.
Ashkenazy's tone is
instantly recognisable still, light,
clean and ever so slightly hard. His
musicality is intact, indeed constant,
over the years. Staccato is light and
never once is there a hint of pedal
smudge. Yet it is the orchestra that
sounds more engaged, to my ears, than
the pianist himself. Ashkenazy comes
closest to taking off in the cadenza,
which is technically impeccable; but
he still holds back at the last minute.
The orchestra begins
the slow movement with amazing finesse.
Textures are superbly weighted and there
is a real sense of concentration. The
piano entry finds Ashkenazy, this time,
matching his accompanists. If some difficulties
in the low winds reflect the live provenance,
this remains a wonderfully delicate
reading. The last movement begins in
sprightly fashion, although arguably
too speedily for an Allegretto - one
has to leave room for the coda to make
its mark … There is much grace, however,
and Ashkenazy even allows himself a
mini-cadenza, more extended than one
often hears, immediately prior to the
closing pages.
This is not the only
Mozart 20 that this orchestra has recorded.
On a Warner Elatus issue, Argerich gives
us this concerto while Richter, no less,
plays No. 25 (0927 467402). Here, they
capture the stormy D minor mood well,
while Ashkenazy allows himself a little
more romantic leeway in his phrasing;
just a hint, but enough to make it matter.
High strings start to sound a little
shrill here in the louder dynamics,
but caveats are balanced by the cadenza.
This Ashkenazy launches into with a
vengeance, trills abuzz, leading to
a remarkably dramatic display. Only
the very end is a bit careful, making
it absolutely clear to the orchestra
when to re-enter..
The slow movement seems
to have a lot of Don Giovanni-like
guts about it in its stormier sections,
portions which link to the determined
mood of the finale. Here lies the most
involving playing of the entire disc,
but it was still not enough to fully
engage the listener.
The disc is a CD/SACD/SACD
five-channel hybrid. The sound is spectacularly
clean - matching Ashkenazy's playing,
it could be argued - and the disc as
a whole acts as an indicator of what
relatively recent Ashkenazy sounds like
in Mozart. No clear first recommendations
here, though.
Colin Clarke
for details
Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto/Vladimir
Ashkenazy (piano). 
