Alfred Brendel’s recording sessions for the Vanguard label in the 1960s produced one concerto coupling, and, boy, is it a beauty! We have two of Mozart’s most inspired creations in the instrumental genre where his genius arguably flourished best, played with heart, soul, and stylish insight. The music’s operatic dimensions are underscored by Antonio Janigro’s lovingly inflected phrasing and perfectly judged tempos. Moreover, his reduced forces and minimal use of string vibrato allow Mozart’s prismatic orchestration to attractively congeal in the resonant acoustic of Vienna’s Palais Schönburg. Similarly, Brendel’s difficult-to-balance sonority is reproduced more alluringly here than in his more analytically miked Mozart concerto recordings from the ’70s with Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (Philips). Barlines virtually melt as a result of Brendel’s carefully timed runs and illuminating accents, served up with technical finesse and subtle dynamic seasonings. Brendel, of course, must compete with the whiskery refinement of Ivan Moravec’s spellbinding K. 449, and the winged brio Richard Goode brings to K. 271, with more spontaneity in the finale’s central menuetto. Still, it would be a shame for this distinguished release to get lost in the crowded Mozart concerto bins at your local CD emporium. Not all of Alfred Brendel’s recordings substantiate his formidable reputation. This one definitely does. [3/1/2000]
