“Five stars, not to be missed”
Album of the four Mozart Concertos, released in October 2024 on Hänssler Classic
Here is an offering both interesting and delightful: two early Mozart concertos with conventional forces and two Viennese-era concertos in their quintet versions, all presented in vibrant and exciting performances. But wait! Quintet versions of Piano Concertos? Yes, a few Mozart Piano Concertos—those with relatively simple wind parts—were published with advertisement that they “may be performed either with a large orchestra with wind instruments or merely a Quattro, riz. with 2 violins, viola, and violoncello.” After all, publishers wanted to sell as many copies as possible and not all potential buyers had a chamber orchestra on call. This would not be possible with most of Mozart’s later works in the genre, where intricate wind writing is a prominent feature. String Quartet versions of some concertos have been recorded before. A fine account of K. 414 with Alfred Brendel and the Alban Berg Quartet was released in 2000 (apparently not reviewed in Fanfare).
I had not yet made the acquaintance of Ciocarlie. Born in Romania in 1968, she studied in Paris with Vlado Pludermacher and Dominique Merlet. For some years she has taught at the National Academy of Music in Lyon. She has made a number of recordings of both solo and chamber repertoire. A handful have been reviewed in Fanfare; without exception they have been well received.
Both K. 246 and K. 271 receive spirited, dynamic performances with a small chamber orchestra (string compliment is 5-5-3-2-2). K. 271 is the more substantial work by far and is generally regarded as Mozart’s first great concerto, perhaps his first great work in any genre (the only serious rivals are Symphonies No. 25 and 29). In this concerto one notices an attractive rhythmic snap and tonal sheen in the opening tutti, well sustained after the entrance of Ciocarlie’s Yamaha. Passagework is crystal clear and a good deal of tasteful rubato is applied in the extended solo sections. Detail is balanced with the long view—the structural narrative of the movement is clearly projected. The C-minor Andantino, one of Mozart’s longest slow movements, conveys a real sense of innigkeit here. In the finale, the central lyrical episode is nicely contrasted with the energetic outer sections.
In the quintet versions of K. 414 and K. 415 the interaction between piano and solo strings reveals many subtle details difficult to hear in the standard orchestral setting. First violinist Benaïm, who has the most to do, plays with an attractive tone. Perhaps because these emanate from live performances, there are a few tiny glitches of ensemble, but they do not detract from the overall effect. The solo setting works particularly well in K. 414 where the absent wind section consists only of pairs of oboes and horns. The orchestral version of K. 415 uses a much larger wind section including oboes, bassoons, horns, trumpets and drums. Here there are a few places, such as the opening tutti, where I miss the weight of the full orchestra. Of course, this should not be one’s sole representation of these concertos, but they make a fascinating supplement to conventional versions. For listeners with an interest in eighteenth-century performance, this is certainly worthwhile. Moreover, Ciocarlie is a pianist meriting anyone’s attention. I look forward to hearing more Mozart from her. Highly recommended.
“Five stars:” Outstanding performances, including two concertos in their alternative quintet versions.