flat Major; Gigue in G Major; Rondo in A Minor; Sonata in F Major
K533/494 – Richard Goode, piano – Nonesuch 79831 *****:
This exceptional Mozart recital is not your run-of-the-mill Mozart
program. With the exception of the A Minor Sonata (which even
such as I played in a recital once) the works here are rarely heard in
public concert. Even the sonatas are not often heard in concerts
anymore. Artur Schnabel said of them “Too easy for children, too hard
for adults.” Goode brings out the poetry as well as angst of the
A Minor Sonata as I have not heard in any other version. Its
dissonances seem very natural and the whole work sounds larger than
life though not forced in any way. Some of the short pieces are tied to
J.S.. Bach. The rapid Gigue in G Major will sound familiar
because Tchaikovsky orchestrated it as the first movement of his
Mozartiana Suite. Goode has chosen one of the composer’s most
incandescent and imaginative piano sonatas for the closing bookend of
the CD. The textures of the work are more varied than any other of his
sonatas and yet all is super-charming in typical Mozartian style.
Recorded quality is very natural and pleasing. If you only have a
single CD of Mozart solo piano music in your collection, this would be
an excellent candidate.
– John Sunier
