MOZART: Piano Concertos No. 5 in D, KV 175; No. 8 in C, KV 246; No. 23 in A, KV 488 – Christian Zacharias, piano/ Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne – MDG Multichannel SACD 940 1562-6, 66:23 ****: [Distr. by Koch]
We have now reached Volume 5 of MDG’s estimable series of Mozart piano concertos with Christian Zacharias, the first such SACD series to my knowledge [there is a so-so bargain boxed set on Brilliant Classics…Ed.], and a highly worthy effort. There is some backtracking to the early concertos here, featuring KV 175, actually the first piano concerto Mozart wrote, even though it is numbered as “five”. The earlier works were all arrangements of other composers. So 1773 was somewhat of a banner year for the young 17 year-old genius, and he continued the efforts with his eighth work in this most original of genres (at least a genre brought to perfection by him) during the year of 1776 and written for a pupil of father Leopold. One mustn’t be put off by these earlier works, for despite their youthful origins there are sparkling hints of the vivacity and ingenuity that are to come, and hold the attention of any listener for their own sake. Even KV 175 remained popular for many years after the composer had graduated to bigger and better things.
KV 488 is of course one of the most popular concertos ever written—and maybe Mozart’s most popular—and the combination of intimate chamber-like appeal along with gushy bravura passages have endured it to many over the years. The Marriage of Figaro was completed only two months later, and the innovative twists and turns of harmony and melody present in that seminal work also find their way into this concerto. (Keep in mind that Mozart’s piano concertos are essentially operatic in their essence.) The sound of this work is different also, in that there are no kettledrums and trumpets, and the oboes are replaced by clarinets, likening it to a smoother, more homogenous texture that supports Mozart’s lyrical moments.
Zacharias’s articulation is spectacular in these pieces, just the right amount of separation between the notes in the faster passages, and an almost organ-like style of playing that allows the melodies to truly soar with a seamless and unobtrusive melisma. The sound is fabulous, the best on any Mozart concerto series so far, and is recommendable without hesitation.
— Steven Ritter
