Christian Zacharias’ suave keyboard mastery throughout these much-loved Mozart concertos mirrors the composer’s famous comment to the effect that the phrasing should “flow like oil”. At the same time, Zacharias supports the outer movements’ pearly right hand runs and the famous slow-movement tunes with strong harmonic underpinning from the left hand. His original cadenzas and tasteful embellishments also prove strong assets to the performances. In turn, David Zinman uncovers wind and brass details often masked in non-chamber-orchestra renditions. I’m especially taken with his quicker-than-usual tempo for K. 467’s slow movement. As a result, the bassoon counterline in the opening orchestral statement emerges more distinctly and the accompanying triplet figures take on greater urgency, both in the orchestra and when Zacharias takes over. Other recordings offer more in the way of pungent timbres and variety of articulation from the soloist (the Brendel/Mackerras and Goode/Orpheus K. 466, plus the reference K. 467 readings cited above and Piotr Anderszweski’s dazzling traversal from Virgin/EMI). At bargain price, however, music lovers seeking these concertos together on one disc can’t go wrong.
