Buchbinder: Mozart – Piano Concertos (9 CD box set, FLAC)

Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 9 CD box set
Format: FLAC (tracks+cue)
Label: Profil / Haenssler
Size: 2.21 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

# Piano Concerto No. 5 in D major, K. 175
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Rondo for piano & orchestra in D major, K. 382
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 6 in B flat major, K. 238
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 8 in C major (“Lützow”) K. 246
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 9 in E flat major (“Jeunehomme,” “Jenamy”), K. 271
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

# Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, K. 459
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

# Piano Concerto No. 11 in F major, K. 413 (K. 387a)
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414 (K. 385p)
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 13 in C major, K. 415 (K. 387b)
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 14 in E flat major, K. 449
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 15 in B flat major, K. 450
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 16 in D major, K. 451
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K. 453
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 18 in B flat major, K. 456
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major (“Elvira Madigan”) K. 467
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 22 in E flat major, K. 482
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 26 in D major (“Coronation”) K. 537
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

# Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, K. 595
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Rudolf Buchbinder

Preferred performances in this genre

Buchbinder’s Mozart piano concertos, when released inidividually on the Calig label, got hardly any of the good or bad press this set has received. Only Third Ear Classical Music, among the major publications that comprehensively review classical recordings, even ranked this set, saying it was one of the better ones.

I owned many of these recordings on the Calig label and was consistently astonished by the lack of publicity they received. Several traits differentiate these recordings from the complete or near complete sets by other major pianists. They are:

1. Buchbinder’s pianism, which is dyanmic yet moderate, and is consistently truthful sounding. This set eschews the overthinking and overdramatic approach that marred Buchbinder’s recording of the Brahms concertos some years back. At the same time, he produces a consistently pleasing tone across the set, whether he is working from the earliest concerto (No. 5) or the newer recording of the most mature concertos, Nos. 26 and 27.

2. Electricity. Most of these recordings were made during concerts in the Vienna Konzerthaus and, therefore, have the adrenaline and immediacy of concert — some call it “live” — musicmaking. Buchbinder, who can overthink scores and pound the keyboard mercilessly in the studio, is consistently involved with the music in a partucularly Mozartean way even when, such as in the “Elvira Madigan” Concerto No. 21, he uses his own cadenzas.

3. There is a remarkably natural sound to these recordings that gives them a pleasant overall bloom very much like you would hear from the third row of a concert hall. The exquisite miking of these recordings produces a highly Viennese sound.

4. Masculinity. Perhaps most remarkably, Buchbinder — who conducts all the concertos from the keyboard — is able to produce a wondrous tone while maintaining Mozartean style and producing some of the most masculine versions of these concertos I’ve ever heard.

He does this, in part, by using the timpani in ways most conductors do not and ensuring you can hear the timpani. I think this ability to generate masculine drama while simultanesouly holding back the reins of the orchestra and playing akin to Mozart is the most endearing trait of the set.

In addition, there is a complete lack of glibness or superficiality in these recordings. I had heard all the great pianists perform these concertos and was never much of a fan of any of them until I heard this set. If these are the qualities you seek in Mozart performance, you will enjoy this set.