Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 (CD review)

Also, Schumann:  Piano Concerto. Evgeny Kissin, piano; Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra. EMI 946 3 82879 2 6.

Certainly, there is no questioning the skill, sensitivity, and bravura of pianist Evgeny Kissin or the equally skilled work of conductor Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra. So, maybe it's a matter of first impressions.

Things begin on this disc with the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24, which is a fairly dark work for the composer. But it seems as though EMI's live concert recording (Barbican Hall, London, November, 2006) makes it doubly dark, tending to make the orchestral accompaniment sound veiled and murky in the big opening and closing movements. The orchestral sound is dynamic enough, to be sure, with a solid bass response, but the midrange comes out rather beclouded in terms of inner detail.

To double check, I put on Murray Perahia's account with the English Chamber Orchestra on Sony for comparison, and I found it much more vibrant and to my liking. Fortunately, this shrouded condition of the EMI effort does not affect the piano, which EMI apparently miked closely enough for it to hold its own. So, Kissin's handling of the middle, slow movement comes off quite nicely.

The Schumann Piano Concerto fares better, probably because it is more lithe to begin with, and, therefore, the orchestra is less of a hindrance. Also, Colin Davis has had enough experience in this work to give it its due (remember the wonder of Kovacevich's recording with Davis and the BBC Symphony on Philips), whereas in the Mozart, Davis and Kissin seem fractionally more sluggish. Anyway, EMI had the sense not leave any applause in the recording, and the audience is admirably quiet throughout the proceedings. That's a blessing right there.

Adapted from a review the author originally published in the $ensible Sound magazine.

JJP