Leif Ove Andsnes plays Mozart

I am always suspicious of musicians who are famous for being famous. They probably have superb PR representation and connections. Or they appear frequently on public television. I have the impression that little-known artists are often superior to their better-known colleagues. There are exceptions, of course: Yuja Wang is a publicity hound, but compensates by being an extraordinarily good pianist.

No one could accuse the Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes of being a publicity hound. He is, however, a really excellent and musical pianist. I am currently listening to his playing in three Mozart piano concertos, plus a few other works all composed in 1785. He is partnered with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra that he also conducts. The Mozart piano concertos do not normally need a separate, eminent conductor (unless the pianist and orchestra are pretty inexperienced). Andsnes is an excellent pianist for Mozart; like Clara Haskil, he understands well that Mozart requires playing that combines elegance, sophistication, and simplicity. Here he plays three piano concertos: numbers 20, 21 and 22. The two CD set is well balanced and well recorded. To complete the set for 1785, Andsnes plays the C minor fantasia K 475, conducts the band in the Meistermusik K 477, and combines with colleagues in the G minor piano quartet K 478.

Mozart's piano concertos were, of course, written for Mozart himself to perform. It is a great pity that, after the early K 219, he wrote no violin concertos, but we do have 27 piano concertos to compensate, many of them from his prime years after juvenile excursions. In the piano concertos, the orchestral part is mainly that of a back-up group, with no intention for a partnership. The 22^nd piano concerto (like the 26^th) is not one of Mozart's greatest creations, and the G minor piano quartet is dominated by Mozart the star at the piano, with the violin, viola and cello just providing support from time to time. This comes out in this recording, but it's Mozart wish, not that of the balance engineers