Richard Egarr’s profile as a solo artist makes a far stronger impression throughout this Mozart recital than in his previous Bach releases for Harmonia Mundi. Although he may not be so adroit as Ronald Brautigam in regard to dynamic scaling, long lined architecture, and absolute technical command, Egarr’s seriousness and total immersion in the scores cannot be doubted. In contrast to the limpid grace marking Brautigam’s account of the D major Rondo, Egarr reveals a more aggressive and angular side to the music. Similarly, his impulsive tempo modifications and hard-hitting accents grip your attention in the B minor Adagio and D minor Fantasia. He also takes a freer approach to both the Kleiner Trauermarsch in C minor and the C major K. 394 Prelude that differs from Brautigam’s weightier, steadier conceptions.
Egarr is not averse to adding ornaments, and although I’m sure that Eine Kleine Gigue’s cross-rhythmic complexities need them, why does he play the final two chords piano on the repeat? “A mite twee,” as my British colleagues would say. In addition, Egarr’s outsized dynamic contrasts and eye for detail saps the A minor Rondo of its natural flow and lyricism, to choppy, overstressed effect. But the Adagio for Glass Harmonica’s ghostly timbres are worth the disc’s price and easily achieve the intimate, breathless conclusion Egarr seeks as he employs both pedals of his unusually responsive Johann Zahler fortepiano. Also worthy of mention are the excellence of Egarr’s booklet notes and Harmonia Mundi’s engineering.
