Classical Music: Mozart: Piano Concertos, Vol. 11

Piano Concerto in D major, K. 107 / I; Piano Concerto in G major, K. 107 / II; Piano Concerto in E flat major, K. 107 / III; Overture to Mitridate, re di Ponto, K. 87; Overture to Ascanio in Alba, K. 111; Overture to Lo sposo deluso, K. 430; Entr’actes from Thamos, König in Ägypten, K. 345

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet – Piano
Manchester Camerata - Gábor Takács-Nagy
Chandos CHAN 20331
Chandos.net

Yet another superbly executed disc from Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, the Manchester Camerata and Gábor Takács-Nagy arrives with this eleventh volume, demonstrating that the quality established in earlier installments has been maintained with unfailing consistency. Like elite athletes, nothing has been allowed to slip over the years, the partnership aided by sound engineers who continue to capture the ensemble's distinctive qualities.

This latest release explores Mozart's three juvenile concertos from 1771-72, all reworkings of keyboard sonatas by J.C. Bach. Bach had served as something of a mentor to Mozart during the composer's London years (1764-65), and these concertos not only draw upon Bach's thematic material but are very much in the gallant style of which the older composer was a leading proponent. Converting the sonatas into concertos presented the fourteen-year-old Mozart with numerous challenges, as both forms were subject to relatively strict conventions that were markedly different. Mozart overcame these challenges with great imagination and a lightness of touch, qualities that Bavouzet captures through his impeccable fingerwork, which makes the superbly crafted music easy to perform in every movement.

The Manchester Camerata under Takács-Nagy's baton responds with matching finesse and beautiful phrasing. The interaction between soloist and orchestra reveals an incredible chemistry built up over the earlier volumes, with playing that is precise and articulate, performed with wonderful clarity where the dynamics and shape add immeasurably to the performance. These rare works receive performances of energy and dynamism that capture their spirit while never sacrificing elegance.

One of the many joys of this series has been the orchestral items, and the Manchester Camerata sparkles here. The Overture to Mitridate, re di Ponto was composed for the Duke of Lombardy in 1770, a year before the concertos. The opera proved a great hit, consequently earning Mozart a commission from Empress Maria Theresa to write a serenata for the wedding of her son Archduke Ferdinand. Ascanio in Alba was the result. Mozart started the comedy Lo sposo deluso in 1785 but only completed five numbers, including the overture heard here. The five pieces written for Thamos, König in Ägypten, represent the only set of incidental music that Mozart composed for the theatre, and they receive performances that demonstrate the ensemble's command of this repertoire with unfailing musicality.