# Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 & 24



## Leonius (Jan 8, 2015)

Mozart's Piano Concertos No. 20 & 24, in D minor and C minor, respectively, always have a special appeal to me. They are the few pieces that show the "deep and fierce" side of Mozart. For those of you who watched the movie "Amadeus", I can imagine Mozart, afflicted with diseases, treading on the snow with great difficulty when 20 is played. 24 is more obviously creating a tragic sense, and Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3 was doubtlessly inspired by Mozart 24. The second of movement of 24 feels more deeply in thought, while that of 20 has a nice romantic appeal.

So how do you compare 20 & 24? Which one do you personally prefer? Any suggested editions? I am listening to Phillips and Markevitch editions. The use of percussion in the latter edition in 24 is really interesting.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I like them both but #20 is one of my favorites of all works. 

For recordings, I've got Ashkenazy/Philharmonia, Perahia/English Chamber Orchestra, Brendel/Marriner, and Haskil/Markevitch in both. I've got Shelley/London Mozart Players, Jandó/Ligeti, and Gulda/Abbado in #20, and Pollini/VPO in #24. 

My favorites of those are probably Haskil/Markevitch in both, though I like Gulda/Abbado in #20 as well. Now it needs to be said that I have essentially no actual insight into anything, so what is a favorite for me doesn't mean much, and all of them are good.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Leonius said:


> Mozart's Piano Concertos No. 20 & 24, in D minor and C minor, respectively, always have a special appeal to me. They are the few pieces that show the "deep and fierce" side of Mozart. For those of you who watched the movie "Amadeus", I can imagine Mozart, afflicted with diseases, treading on the snow with great difficulty when 20 is played. 24 is more obviously creating a tragic sense, and Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3 was doubtlessly inspired by Mozart 24. The second of movement of 24 feels more deeply in thought, while that of 20 has a nice romantic appeal.
> 
> So how do you compare 20 & 24? Which one do you personally prefer? Any suggested editions? I am listening to Phillips and Markevitch editions. The use of percussion in the latter edition in 24 is really interesting.


Lots of good recordings of these works. I usually listen to Richard Goode and the Orpheus CO or Robert Casadesus and the Cleveland SO conducted by George Szell.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I am putting in another plug for Perahia and the ECO
It fact get the whole box set, is the only sensible thing to do


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

In 24, the variations - Glenn Gould plays them very well, in the studio performance. The final variation especially. Other good 24s - Richter/Muti, Bezuidenhout/Bruggen (unpublished) and Kempff/Maderna. Schnabel is also well worth hearing for the cadenza, and the first recording with Edwin Fischer (unfortunately marred by a very poor cadenza.)

In 20, one good one to hear is Christian Zacharias, not his second recording with the Lausanne orchestra, the first. Michelangeli too. I don't know 20 as well as 24.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

No 20 probably edges it - 3 perfect movements - I find the 2nd mvt of no 24 not quite up to mozart's highest standards, the outer movements though are magnificent


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## Halkides (Feb 5, 2015)

It is difficult to favor one recording of either piece. IIRC Clifford Curzon recorded the 20th with Benjamin Britten. Rudolf Serkin recorded the 24th with Claudio Abbado.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Those seeking unusual but interesting and well-played recordings should check out 

Peter Breiner in no.20 (jazzified cadenzas)
and Bashkirov/Gauk in no.24 (historical).


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

joen_cph said:


> Those seeking unusual but interesting and well-played recordings should check out
> 
> Peter Breiner in no.20 (jazzified cadenzas)
> and Bashkirov/Gauk in no.24 (historical).


Is the Bashkirov performance unusual in some way?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I believe 24 in C minor is the greatest of the Mozart Piano Concertos.

It is the concerto Beethoven used as a model for his own Third Piano Concerto in C minor.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Mandryka said:


> Is the Bashkirov performance unusual in some way?


Formally or technically not really, except from the presence of a not-so-common cadenza in the 1st movement (I don´t remember which one right now).

But it´s a "romantically" coloured performance quite rarely seen these days, and the chosen tempi and the often-found presence of fast "staccato" accents differ somewhat from mainstream. The slow movement is quite serenely played, though, but the end phrases somewhat surprising.

Traces of irregular orchestral playing at times, no doubt due to limited rehearsel time under those circumstances, but not that much.

IMO, this performance somehow underlines the work´s modernity and contemporary relevance!


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Leonius said:


> Mozart's Piano Concertos No. 20 & 24, in D minor and C minor, respectively, always have a special appeal to me. They are the few pieces that show the "deep and fierce" side of Mozart. For those of you who watched the movie "Amadeus", I can imagine Mozart, afflicted with diseases, treading on the snow with great difficulty when 20 is played. 24 is more obviously creating a tragic sense, and Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3 was doubtlessly inspired by Mozart 24. The second of movement of 24 feels more deeply in thought, while that of 20 has a nice romantic appeal.
> 
> So how do you compare 20 & 24? Which one do you personally prefer? Any suggested editions? I am listening to Phillips and Markevitch editions. The use of percussion in the latter edition in 24 is really interesting.


They are quite different in mood and amongst the most original symphonic piano concertos ever, certainly the case when first written. I love them both.


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## Gaspard de la Nuit (Oct 20, 2014)

#20 has moments that achieve an especially great beauty among Mozart's compositional ideas....a beauty that is uniquely and unignorably 'Mozart'.


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