Moved by Mysterious Forces

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MOZART: “Piano Concertos Nos. 14-16”

Daniel Barenboim, conductor, piano; Berlin Philharmonic

Teldec Classics

A perhaps natural suspicion arises when a musician dons more than one hat, particularly in the case of the simultaneous conductor-soloist. Is it an empty challenge, the inquiring mind wonders, or a feat of organic crossing over? The second scenario wins in the case of Barenboim’s latest reading of Mozart piano concertos. This documentation of Nos. 14 through 16, two-thirds of which were recorded live, makes for the ninth addition to his Mozart piano concerto discography. In it, Barenboim dispatches his dual function with unswerving clarity, interpreting these mature works with alternating bravura and delicacy, especially in the slow movements. The keyboard concertos were written within a span of a few weeks in 1784, and the sequential presentation here offers a sense of logical, expressive continuity in the listening experience. The end effect is lent added continuity by Barenboim’s overall conception, delivered from the piano seat-cum-podium.

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