It’s always a joy to hear the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra play Mozart’s piano concertos, where the composer’s diverse, imaginative scoring and highly characterized first-desk writing invariably come to life. The world-class profile they display in the C major K. 467 and E-flat major K. 482 works is matched note for note by pianist Jonathan Biss’ ensemble sensitivity, unerring taste, musical intelligence, and superbly technical acumen, to say nothing of the imaginative cadenzas he provides in the E-flat’s outer movements and the C major’s Allegro maestoso (in the finale he opts for Dinu Lipatti’s cadenza).
Numerous details cause us to hear familiar passages anew. I’m struck by the pointing up of dissonances in the close-register string section/piano dialogue in the C major’s first movement, and by the way subtle tone color and sustained intensity hold the E-flat slow movement’s broad basic tempo together. Also notice Biss’ strong left-hand underpinnings in the K. 467 “Elvira Madigan” Andante–the better for the famous right-hand tune not to wilt.
Yet at times you might wish for the pianist to deliver more playful, personalized turns of phrase. For example, he does not internalize the distinctions between legato and detached articulation of the E-flat Rondo’s main theme so naturally and songfully as Rudolf Buchbinder, András Schiff, and Annie Fischer do. And although his K. 467 finale matches Piotr Anderszewski for lightness and zest, the latter’s fiercer accents and crisper descending scales elevate the musical stakes several notches. Biss’ poetic abilities at the keyboard appropriately and thoughtfully manifest themselves in his soft-spoken, well-written booklet notes.
