Markevitch, Haskil: Mozart: Piano Conceros no.20 & 24 (FLAC)

Performer: Clara Haskil
Orchestra: Lamoureux Concert Association Orchestra
Conductor: Igor Markevitch
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Audio CD
SPARS Code: ADD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (tracks+cue)
Label: Philips
Size: 250 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: no

01. I. Allegro
02. Ii.Romanze
03. Iii. Rondo (Allgro Assai)

04. I. Allegro
05. Ii. Larghetto
06. Iii. Allegretto

Marvelous, just missing perfection

I’m not exactly sure I can explain why this is such great playing, but it is. Haskil’s combination of warmth, articulation and power is unsurpassed in these works. I also like Markevitch’s Beethoven-like accompaniments, which one reviewer didn’t, but his unfortunate slowing down of the tempos in the codas of both final movements just slightly mars the tremendous forward momentum, thus reducing the propulsiveness demanded by these ultimate minor key “Romantic” Classics. The cadenzas, those by Haskil in particular, are fabulously conceived and played and are an antidote to the (sometimes) too heavy ones written by Beethoven. Marvelous.