# Who's the Best Mozart Interpreter?



## Wolfgangus the Great (Jan 4, 2022)

I think pretty much every pianist who plays Mozart, is incapable of performing his music properly.

Misuse of pedal, narrow range of expression, poor phrasing, horrific choice of tempo, lack of improvisation, and etc.

Pianists always ignore Mozart's phrasing markings and play the entire thing legato. Their tempo choices are often very ridiculous. Gulda's and Uchida's performances of K. 457 were disastrous. They also ignore Mozart's dynamic markings and perform the entire thing in the most monotonous fashion. Only a few of them improvise in the repeats!! 

Just play what Mozart wrote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, who's the best Mozart interpreter? I'd say Robert Levin in his marvelous recordings of the piano concerti. Shame he didn't record all of the concerti. What really upsets me is that he only recorded Piano Sonatas No. 1, 2, 3, 15, and 18 instead of all of them.


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## vtpoet (Jan 17, 2019)

More thread-bait?


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## Wolfgangus the Great (Jan 4, 2022)

vtpoet said:


> More thread-bait?


nope! I'm actually serious with this one.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

I think on modern piano, pianists have taken more liberties to play the music to suit the instrument more. So if Levin is who you like, then I say Malcolm Bilson is as true to the original as any. I've like Howard Shelley on modern instrument along with many others, but Howard Shelley struck a very fine balance in my book.


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Another Mozart fan here, and I would like to add some. For Mozart interpreters, in terms of violin, I would say Arthur Grumiaux or David Oistrakh. Despite that Mozart is not known most for his Violin Concertos and Sinfonia Concertante, Grumiaux has a very famous Mozart VC album. David Oistrakh is also a very good Mozart interpreter in violin. Compared to Jascha Heifetz and Nathan Milstein who seem to be quite indifferent with Mozart VCs, David Oistrakh did study a lot of Mozart Violin Concertos and the biography (including notes) by Mozart before he recorded the Mozart VC+Sinfonia Concertante+Concertone reference recording with Berliner Philharmoniker. 

If you are talking about conductors, I would say Sir Colin Davis, the person on my avatar. He did some really good Mozart albums with National Dresden and Bavarian Radio orchestras released by RCA and you should definitely check those out. The Grumiaux Mozart VCs album was conducted by him as well. He also has some really good Mozart Opera recordings like the 2003 Covent Garden Mozart Magic Flute. He might not be the most outstanding conductor of Mozart in terms of specific compositions, but in general, he is very, very good at Mozart.

Speaking of pianists, I do not know.  I do not listen to piano that much but I will explore his Piano Sonatas and Piano Concertos. Glad to see there are tons of threads about Amadeus!!!


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## KevinW (Nov 21, 2021)

Just curious--if you almost never listened to Mozart Piano compositions under its original tempo, how would you know they work the best?


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## Wolfgangus the Great (Jan 4, 2022)

KevinW said:


> Just curious--if you almost never listened to Mozart Piano compositions under its original tempo, how would you know they work the best?


It simply just goes against the character of the piece. The 40th Symphony sounds like dance music when it's played as fast as most conductors want it. When Mozart marks it Adagio, it has to feel like Adagio, not Andantino con Moto.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Wolfgangus the Great said:


> I think pretty much every pianist who plays Mozart, is incapable of performing his music properly.
> 
> Misuse of pedal, narrow range of expression, poor phrasing, horrific choice of tempo, lack of improvisation, and etc.
> 
> ...


You should explore Christian Zacharias's Mozart -- here K467 at something close to speed -- he takes a bit slower in his second recording with the Lausanne orchestra.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Christian Zacharias recorded them foe EMI and later for MD+G you should hear them boat, outstanding. My first love however if the First Barenboim set om EMI . Some concertos on my vinyl are almost inaudible, that much I played them.


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## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

Lily Kraus was one of the great interpreters of Mozart. She had a commanding personality that infused all the music she played. She described herself as "…terribly passionate, irrational, and the most undiplomatic person God ever made". Just right for Mozart, I'd say.


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