Mozart, W. A.: Piano Concertos 6, 9, 20, and 21.(Sound Recording Review)

Mozart, W. A.: Piano Concertos 6, 9, 20, and 21. Ensemble Baroque de Limoges, conducted by Christophe Coin; Patrick Cohen, fortepiano. Recorded in 1996 (live) and 1999 (studio), Arsenal de Metz, France. Engineer not listed. 117+ minutes (2-disc set). Astree/Naive 3005.

Here we have recordings of two earlier and two somewhat later piano concertos by one of the acknowledge masters. (Mozart was 20 when he composed the number 6 and was 29 when he composed the number 21.) Right off, it is easy to see that he had a complete grasp of the requirements of the genera from the word go, and things went from superb to extraordinary. There is not much one can say about the music, so let's move on and discuss the recording.

First, these are "period-instrument" performances, so the enveloping richness we hear with modern orchestras performing "classical" repertoire is just not there. Don't get me wrong, the tonality and depth of the ensemble is first class, as are the solo performances. However, the weight of a modern ensemble is missing (particularly in the strings), and some listeners might judge the sound as being a bit on the thin side. Whether this kind of interpretation does the trick for you will be a matter of taste, but the recording itself does just what a top-tier recording is supposed to do.

Yep, the second point is that except for one flaw (noted below) the recorded sound is superb: smooth, clean, and blessed with a wonderful sense of stage depth and detail. Disc number one (done in a studio in 1996) has the piano rather close up in relation to the supporting players. This will certainly appeal to those who want to hear close-up textures from the instrument.

Using the Yamaha RX-Z1's Classical/Opera" or Dolby Pro Logic IX (music) modes available in my main system (Allison IC-20 main speakers, about 12 feet apart) put the piano in a somewhat better relationship with the ensemble, and the result was terrific. The derived center feed stabilized the soundstage for off-axis listening as well, and for this particular transcription I ...