Where to start with Mozart

[Karl Henning]

As you know, I totally agree with this. On the contrary, I love his interpretations of Haydn's solo keyboard music. Playing Haydn, he is totally at home.

BTW, my favorite cycles of the piano sonatas are:

1. Paul Badura-Skoda
2. Bart Van Oort, Malcolm Bilson & Alexei Lubimov.
3. Mitsuko Uchida
4. Maria João Pires (1st recording)

I guess Kristian Bezuidenhout will be placed very high (along with Badura-Skoda or slightly below him), when he finishes his traversal on HM. 

Most interesting, thank you.

[Gurn Blanston]

As you know, I totally agree with this. On the contrary, I love his interpretations of Haydn's solo keyboard music. Playing Haydn, he is totally at home.

BTW, my favorite cycles of the piano sonatas are:

1. Paul Badura-Skoda
2. Bart Van Oort, Malcolm Bilson & Alexei Lubimov.
3. Mitsuko Uchida
4. Maria João Pires (1st recording)

I guess Kristian Bezuidenhout will be placed very high (along with Badura-Skoda or slightly below him), when he finishes his traversal on HM. 

As always, we are as one on the taste front. I place Bilson ahead of Oort and I don't have Pires. The only Bezuidenhout I have so far is that one-off Stürm und Dräng disk which I am very fond of. I should have you do all my listing for me and save time that way.

[AnthonyAthletic]

I think I started with EKN many years ago, a few piano concerti then the symphonies.

At around £8 for 10cds this was a new purchase, and how lovely it is when a small relatively unknown Orchestra excel themselves disc after disc.

[asin]B00005QK7A[/asin]
Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana / Alessandro Arigoni
46 Mozart Symphonies

Big boys eat your heart out, I took as much pleasure in the OFI as I did in many a well established 'biggie'.

I suppose this could qualify as a SDCB    Its even cheaper Stateside.

[71 dB]

In other words, you are quarreling over something you've not listened to, and therefore have no direct experience with ; )

Yes I am. I have heard some on radio thou...

I have Klára Würtz and some sonatas also played by Jenö Jandó. My ideas of the music is wide enough to enjoy them both! I don't need Badura-Lada or Bart van Simpson or even Uchida. I'm over this performance snobbery.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

My favorites are Guldas (aka the Mozart tapes). Maybe idiosyncratic, but oh so alive and exciting.

Thanks for mentioning the Gulda, erato. Sounds interesting. He's yet to cross my radar but I think it's time to rectify that.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I have Klára Würtz and some sonatas also played by Jenö Jandó. My ideas of the music is wide enough to enjoy them both! I don't need Badura-Lada or Bart van Simpson or even Uchida. I'm over this performance snobbery.

I don't think it's necessarily snobbery, 71. This board is merely a tool and when you mix people and passion opinions will fly. You yourself are not above putting down Beethoven. Remember?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

But for the concertos, I put Bilson at the top, and on modern instruments like Anda and Perahia. 

I dunno...I used to have Anda's set and about half of Bilson's set. Neither are still around, excepting for one LP of Anda. Bilson has the dubious distinction of having one of the worst pf/orchestra balances I've ever heard - if the pf were any more diminutive it'd be little more than a speck.

Anda's lacks passion for me, although I'm aware that that's Anda's style, so hard to fault that...

I do agree Perahia's is pretty good, the one disc I have is a keeper. Although his constant surging forward lacks something of the reflective qualities I enjoy in Schiff and Goode.

Anyway, just thinking out loud...and no snobbery intended.

[71 dB]

I don't think it's necessarily snobbery, 71.

I think it is because the Badura-Skoda cycle it OOP and very expensive. This means that those who have the box can make those who have not feel inferior. I feel inferior because I have Klára Würtz. That's the problem. I should be happy I own one complete Mozart piano sonatas cycle but this board makes it hard.

This board is merely a tool and when you mix people and passion opinions will fly. You yourself are not above putting down Beethoven. Remember?

I don't put Beethoven down. I simply don't worship everything he did. My ideas of his symphonies just isn't wide enough to enjoy his use of orchestra fully.

[Gurn Blanston]

I think it is because the Badura-Skoda cycle it OOP and very expensive. This means that those who have the box can make those who have not feel inferior. I feel inferior because I have Klára Würtz. That's the problem. I should be happy I own one complete Mozart piano sonatas cycle but this board makes it hard.

I don't put Beethoven down. I simply don't worship everything he did. My ideas of his symphonies just isn't wide enough to enjoy his use of orchestra fully.

But your way of thinking is very twisted. I have the Badura-Skoda, not because I paid a lot of money for it, but because I bought it when it had just been released and it cost $30, or $6/disk. Hardly anything to feel snobby about. OTOH, I have heard many good things about Wurtz, and the only reason I don't have it is because I missed it when it was being sold by itself and I didn't want that big Mozart box in order to get it. Wurtz is reputedly an excellent box, what's to be feeling bad over? Shit, you can't own everything! And even if you could, why would you?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

But your way of thinking is very twisted. I have the Badura-Skoda, not because I paid a lot of money for it, but because I bought it when it had just been released and it cost $30, or $6/disk. Hardly anything to feel snobby about. OTOH, I have heard many good things about Wurtz, and the only reason I don't have it is because I missed it when it was being sold by itself and I didn't want that big Mozart box in order to get it. Wurtz is reputedly an excellent box, what's to be feeling bad over? Shit, you can't own everything! And even if you could, why would you?

+1

[Wakefield]

Most interesting, thank you.

My pleasure, Karl. 

BTW, if you're interested in physical CDs after hearing your downloads, this set would be the best option:

[asin]B000EMSPVU[/asin]

Bart van Oort recorded every single piece of solo keyboard music composed by Mozart (adding the 4-hand works, too) and including some world premiere.

And its price it's quite reasonable on the AMP. 

[71 dB]

But your way of thinking is very twisted. I have the Badura-Skoda, not because I paid a lot of money for it, but because I bought it when it had just been released and it cost $30, or $6/disk. Hardly anything to feel snobby about. OTOH, I have heard many good things about Wurtz, and the only reason I don't have it is because I missed it when it was being sold by itself and I didn't want that big Mozart box in order to get it. Wurtz is reputedly an excellent box, what's to be feeling bad over? Shit, you can't own everything! And even if you could, why would you?

Sorry, I had a bad day today. The weather is bad, stock market sucks, I feel bad etc. Some days just suck.

I agree, $30 is resonable price for the set.   

[Wakefield]

As always, we are as one on the taste front. I place Bilson ahead of Oort and I don't have Pires. The only Bezuidenhout I have so far is that one-off Stürm und Dräng disk which I am very fond of. I should have you do all my listing for me and save time that way.

What's new if the disciple looks like the teacher?   

I think today Bezuidenhout is better than he was in that Stürm und Dräng disc. More serene and intellectual, with a certain darkness, not always present in Mozart interpretations. I mean Mozart never sounds merely light or courtly in Bezuidenhout's interpretations.

[Karl Henning]

Sorry, I had a bad day today. The weather is bad, stock market sucks, I feel bad etc. Some days just suck.

I agree, $30 is resonable price for the set.   

Hope your day improves, Poju. If it helps any, the Dow looks like it's up 90 points on the day at present.

[Gurn Blanston]

Sorry, I had a bad day today. The weather is bad, stock market sucks, I feel bad etc. Some days just suck.

I agree, $30 is resonable price for the set.   

Amen to that! Just kick back and listen to one of your Wurtz CD's, you'll be feeling like a hundred-thousand dollars in no time!

[Gurn Blanston]

What's new if the disciple looks like the teacher?   

I think today Bezuidenhout is better than he was in that Stürm und Dräng disc. More serene and intellectual, with a certain darkness, not always present in Mozart interpretations. I mean Mozart never sounds merely light or courtly in Bezuidenhout's interpretations.

Yes, I have heard this. The artist matures. Well, I would be gratified if he would complete the set and I could buy them all at once. It isn't my way to go looking around and hunting down one disk at a time over great spans of time....

[Wakefield]

[...] Well, I would be gratified if he would complete the set and I could buy them all at once. It isn't my way to go looking around and hunting down one disk at a time over great spans of time....

Yes, but you love original covers, my friend, so waiting will be a problem soon or later, if you don't purchase these discs right now.   

[Gurn Blanston]

Yes, but you love original covers, my friend, so waiting will be a problem soon or later, if you don't purchase these discs right now.   

Yikes! I'm busted!   

Yes, it's true, I was lying. I DO prefer the originals. You know me far too well.

Hmm, Bizz-WE-den-hoot.....  damn.

[71 dB]

Hope your day improves, Poju. If it helps any, the Dow looks like it's up 90 points on the day at present.

Just made some coffee and feeling a bit better, thanks. I do my stock business on Helsinki market (OMXHPI) which closed several hours ago. Nokia seems to be over $4 on Nyse, which is nice because I have 1000 stocks of it.

[Parsifal]

Just made some coffee and feeling a bit better, thanks. I do my stock business on Helsinki market (OMXHPI) which closed several hours ago. Nokia seems to be over $4 on Nyse, which is nice because I have 1000 stocks of it.

Oh dear, $4, down from $40, year-on-year sales down 25%, and they've bet the farm on Windows Phone.