Mozart: Piano Concertos 18 & 22 (CD review)

Imogen Cooper, piano and director; Bradley Creswick, leader and co-director. Northern Sinfonia. Avie AV2200.

There is obviously no want of Mozart piano concerto recordings.  But given the composer's continued popularity, can there ever be too many? This new one of the Piano Concertos Nos. 18 and 20 from British pianist Imogen Cooper and the British chamber orchestra the Northern Sinfonia makes a welcome addition to the field.

The program begins with the Piano Concerto No. 22, K482 (1785). Ms. Cooper, a virtuoso pianist, plays the opening movement (after a lengthy orchestral introduction) with vitality, to be sure, but with an exquisite eloquence, too. Never rushed, it nevertheless moves fleetingly along.

The middle-movement Andante is probably the work's most salient feature, if not its most famous, and the composer himself noted to his father that when he played it, audiences would often request him to play encores of it. Ms. Cooper emphasizes its combination of poetry, lyricism, and emotional intensity (and with a touch of the "Repeat" button, one can easily accommodate encores).

In the concluding Allegro Ms. Cooper takes its familiar little tune and makes it sound more relaxed and refined than playful or cute, with the orchestra participating almost as a soloist in itself. Incidentally, the booklet note explains that Mozart left no cadenzas for this piece, so Ms. Cooper uses those written for Paul Badura-Skoda. In any case, she plays with a strong, straightforward, unmannered style that makes the work sound fresher than usual.

Mozart wrote the Piano Concerto No. 18, K456, in 1784, apparently for the blind pianist and singer Maria Theresia von Paradis. It's scored more lightly than No. 22 and, consequently, appears more delicate and frothy. However, one should not take it too lightly, because as Ms. Cooper amply demonstrates, it contains some of the composer's more imaginative and felicitous writing.

As always from this source, the sound is exemplary in most ways, with excellent clarity and dynamics, wide stage dimensions, moderate depth, and a pleasant ambient bloom. Avie recorded it a little close yet without any distracting glare or edge. The piano is a tad too big for my liking, yet its tone seems pure and natural. Recorded November 9-11, 2009, in Hall One of The Sage Gateshead, England, the performances come off cleanly and realistically. Like the interpretations, the audio sounds cultured, cushy, and comfortable.

JJP