Pianists Tatiana Nikolayeva and Eliso Virsaladze may not approach Mozart’s double concerto with the stylish character and witty interplay that distinguish the reference Perahia/Lupu recording, yet you can’t deny their adroit ensemble repartee and pianistic finish. Listen, for example, to their superb timing of the finale’s cadenza, or to the seamless melodic connections they engender in the Andante. The pianists, along with the young Nikolai Lugansky, display a higher degree of sparkle and incisive rhythm in the Triple Concerto, recorded live at the same February 7, 1986 concert held in the Moscow Conservatory’s Grand Hall. Unfortunately, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra’s strings often are strident and ugly in tone, and turn in a fair share of shaky, unfocused entrances. Furthermore, the resonant engineering pulls the woodwinds in and out of focus, while the horns crack notes all over the Triple Concerto’s slow movement. This is essentially a disc for Nikolayeva and Virsaladze collectors. Its value might increase should Lugansky gain a cult following.
