# Rudolf Buchbinder's Mozart Piano Concertos cycle - the most consistently satisfying on modern instruments?



## Viardots (Oct 4, 2014)

This particular set of Mozart's solo piano concertos, when originally released on the Calig label, got little publicity. When it was later repackaged and issued on Günter Hänssler's Profil label, it gained more attention. Critics like Jed Distler and David Hurwitz on Classics Today, Robert Cummings on Classical.net, and a number of reviewers on Amazon praised it virtually to the skys:

ClassicsToday: Mozart: Piano Concertos/Buchbinder - Classics Today

Classical.net: Classical Net Review - Mozart - Complete Solo Piano Concertos

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Concertos-Wolfgang-Amadeus-Mozart/dp/B0002O37X6/ref=sr_1_9?crid=60X1HIFD1F3U&keywords=mozart+piano+concertos+buchbinder&qid=1669537877&sprefix=buchbinder+mo,aps,391&sr=8-9

David Hurwitz even went as far as lauding it as the best cycle with a pianist also serving as conductor, rating it even higher than those of Geza Anda and Murray Perahia:






Having listened to some of the concertos in this set, the problem for me is that Buchbinder's rather austere tone and generally angular style of playing are not ideally suited to all the concertos (e.g. for me he is quite convincing in the Sturm und Dran of No. 20 but less so in works like Nos. 17, 23) and for individual concertos one can always bring up performances that are better and more characterful than Buchbinder's. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra, on the other hand, is quite fine throughout.

I would love to hear your opinions about this particular set, especially from those who have been into Mozart's piano concertos and their recordings.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I have only one disc (449-451) of the set and it is pretty good but I think Barenboim/EMI is better and Barenboim/Teldec probably as well (although in the latter case I have not heard these concerti, only the last 10). Generally, Buchbinder seems a very good pianist but rather straightforward than imaginative and there are certainly better accompaniments, incl. self-conducted like Barenboim.
So I could agree that this set might have been not sufficiently appreciated but it does not seem superspecial either.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Mozart can never be satisfying on modern instruments imo


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## Monsalvat (11 mo ago)

I've been enjoying 18–27 from Barenboim's Teldec (Berlin) set. I'm also a big fan of Anda's cycle. I didn't even know that Buchbinder had recorded a cycle. I'll have to check these out. 


Viardots said:


> David Hurwitz even went as far as lauding it as the best cycle with a pianist also serving as conductor, rating it even higher than those of Geza Anda and Murray Perahia:


Other than Anda, Perahia, Barenboim I, Barenboim II, and Ashkenazy (and obviously this Buchbinder cycle), how many cycles are there that were conducted from the keyboard? (Uchida II, I guess? Did she ever finish that cycle?) It seems like a relatively small niche to me. Now this is starting to remind me of all the performances I've been meaning to hear, and there are a _lot_... but I'll add Buchbinder to the proverbial list.


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## Viardots (Oct 4, 2014)

hammeredklavier said:


> Mozart can never be satisfying on modern instruments imo


So, which are your go-to versions of the Piano Concertos? Bilson? Brautigam? Levin (a number of them recorded with AAM and Hogwood)? Or others?

By the way, I've heard Levin's complete Mozart piano sonatas on Mozart's own fortepiano and I quite enjoy it.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Viardots said:


> So, which are your go-to versions of the Piano Concertos? Bilson? Brautigam? Levin (a number of them recorded with AAM and Hogwood)? Or others?


Sofronitsky. The tone sounds rich and full to me. The downside is that, in about 3 (maybe more) of the slow movements, the tempo seems off. I think the slow movement of K.456 is taken too slowly, and those of K.449, K.595 are taken too fast. I think Bilson has the right tempo for those.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

It's my favorite set for the reasons I stated in my Amazon review. I would also say it differentiates from other sets by not being precious and not trying make Mozart into Beethoven. Buchbinder manages the fine line between all these things for me.


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## Monsalvat (11 mo ago)

larold said:


> It's my favorite set for the reasons I stated in my Amazon review. I would also say it differentiates from other sets by not being precious and not trying to be Beethoven. Buchbinder manages the fine line between all these things for me.


What do you mean by “precious?”


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## Viardots (Oct 4, 2014)

hammeredklavier said:


> Sofronitsky. The tone sounds rich and full to me. The downside is that, in about 3 (maybe more) of the slow movements, the tempo seems off. I think the slow movement of K.456 is taken too slowly, and those of K.449, K.595 are taken too fast. I think Bilson has the right tempo for those.


You're referring to this one?


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## Viardots (Oct 4, 2014)

Monsalvat said:


> What do you mean by “precious?”


While waiting for Larold's reply, what I understand by the description "precious" is a style of playing Mozart that treats him, in a deliberated manner, like 18th-century Dresden China, feeling like a smooth, polished, delicate porcelain. Examples of such approach include Wilhelm Kempff and Alicia de Larrocha (based on my own listening experience, though there may be others who disagree with the examples):


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## Monsalvat (11 mo ago)

Viardots said:


> While waiting for Larold's reply, what I understand by the description "precious" is a style of playing Mozart that treats him, in a deliberated manner, like 18th-century Dresden China, feeling like a smooth, polished, delicate porcelain. Examples of such approach include Wilhelm Kempff and Alicia de Larrocha (based on my own listening experience, though there may be others who disagree with the examples):


I think I see what you are saying. Playing so delicately as if you are afraid you will break something. However, I think Kempff's cadenza belies this notion: (starting at 11:05 in the video you linked but especially around 11:53 which is almost Beethovenian) 




But I hear a bit more of that in de Larrocha. I think it's a fine line to tread; don't make it sound too "nice" and "pretty" like de Larrocha, but don't roughen the edges to make it more Beethovenian, either. Mozart really is a tightrope to walk; too far on either side and you'll fall. I think singers feel the same way.


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## Viardots (Oct 4, 2014)

Monsalvat said:


> I think I see what you are saying. Playing so delicately as if you are afraid you will break something. However, I think Kempff's cadenza belies this notion: (starting at 11:05 in the video you linked but especially around 11:53 which is almost Beethovenian)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Really can't agree more on your point. That explains why Mozart poses a great challenge to even the greatest pianists and not many get it exactly right. 

Going back to Buchbinder, I'm able to understand why listeners like Larold, not to mention those critics cited above, value him so much. Buchbinder steadfastly and faithfully sticks by the motto "Don't prettify Mozart" and his absolute clarity, forthrightness and incisiveness of articulation are qualities to savour. At the same time he manages to control his playing to prevent it from veering into the realm of Beethovenian vigour. My trouble with Buchbinder is that his tone is to me rather austere and doesn't "sing" enough to fully bring out characteristics and qualities inherent in the music that are akin to operatic arias and the singing voice.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Viardots said:


> Really can't agree more on your point. That explains why Mozart poses a great challenge to even the greatest pianists and not many get it exactly right.


Why is kempff wronger than others? I rather like Buchbinder in PC 24, but I think the Kempff and Maderna recording is also rather agreeable to hear.

Mozart - Piano Concerto No.24 (Kempff - Maderna) - YouTube


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Viardots said:


> My trouble with Buchbinder is that his tone is to me rather austere and doesn't "sing" enough to fully bring out characteristics and qualities inherent in the music that are akin to operatic arias and the singing voice.


One where I think there really is a connection to opera is 482 -- written when he was working on Figaro, and there really are audible similarities, for example the little interlude scored for a lot of winds in the third movement, which is really like the moment where Mr and Mrs Almaviva meet in the garden at the end of the opera and the count sings _Contessa, perdono_. I don't think that Buchbinder does a bad job there -- there's an appropriate opera buffa feel I think.

Rudolf Buchbinder Mozart Piano Concerto No 22 E flat major K 482 - YouTube

I'm not convinced myself that these concertos are akin "to operatic arias and the singing voice" _generally _-- you'd have to make it out on a case by case basis.


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## Viardots (Oct 4, 2014)

Mandryka said:


> Why is kempff wronger than others? I rather like Buchbinder in PC 24, but I think the Kempff and Maderna recording is also rather agreeable to hear.
> 
> Mozart - Piano Concerto No.24 (Kempff - Maderna) - YouTube


For me the pianists who got No. 24 exactly right in terms of tone, articulation, phrasing and musical interpretation include Clara Haskil, Annie Fischer and Alfred Brendel (both with Marriner and Mackerras). Kempff-Maderna (live recording) sounds OK to me, at least more direct and forthright than Kempff-Leitner (DG), where I think the recording does Kempff's piano tone a great disservice, making it sound rather delicate and tip-toeing in the main part and Kempff does seem to me to be a bit too restrained in the studio.

Buchbinder has the right musical temperament for No. 24. My complaints, apart from his austere tone, is that he over-ornaments some of the third movement variations, making certain parts sound rather glib.


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## Viardots (Oct 4, 2014)

Mandryka said:


> One where I think there really is a connection to opera is 482 -- written when he was working on Figaro, and there really are audible similarities, for example the little interlude scored for a lot of winds in the third movement, which is really like the moment where Mr and Mrs Almaviva meet in the garden at the end of the opera and the count sings _Contessa, perdono_. I don't think that Buchbinder does a bad job there -- there's an appropriate opera buffa feel I think.
> 
> Rudolf Buchbinder Mozart Piano Concerto No 22 E flat major K 482 - YouTube
> 
> I'm not convinced myself that these concertos are akin "to operatic arias and the singing voice" _generally _-- you'd have to make it out on a case by case basis.


No. 22 is one of Buchbinder's best efforts in the set. Meanwhile, I concur that some concertos have more operatic characters, connections (whatever one can make them out), and/or currents underneath than others.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Viardots said:


> For me the pianists who got No. 24 exactly right in terms of tone, articulation, phrasing and musical interpretation include Clara Haskil, Annie Fischer and Alfred Brendel (both with Marriner and Mackerras). Kempff-Maderna (live recording) sounds OK to me, at least more direct and forthright than Kempff-Leitner (DG), where I think the recording does Kempff's piano tone a great disservice, making it sound rather delicate and tip-toeing in the main part and Kempff does seem to me to be a bit too restrained in the studio.
> 
> Buchbinder has the right musical temperament for No. 24. My complaints, apart from his austere tone, is that he over-ornaments some of the third movement variations, making certain parts sound rather glib.


The last time I thought about this concerto was in a discussion of Richter/Muti. I wonder if anyone here has any thoughts about that one.


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## Viardots (Oct 4, 2014)

Mandryka said:


> The last time I thought about this concerto was in a discussion of Richter/Muti. I wonder if anyone here has any thoughts about that one.


I suppose you must be referring to this thread:








What are some of Riccardo Muti's greatest recordings?


Muti's recent release with CSO of Shostakovich Sym #13 is really excellent....




www.talkclassical.com





I haven't heard yet the live recording with Richter/Muti you've mentioned. It's available on YT. I'll listen to it later.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Viardots said:


> I suppose you must be referring to this thread:
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> ...



I listened to it again last night, it is unique. And I just don't really know what I think about it.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

> _It's my favorite set for the reasons I stated in my Amazon review. I would also say it differentiates from other sets by not being precious and not trying to be Beethoven. Buchbinder manages the fine line between all these things for me._


_What do you mean by “precious?” _

Overly elegant, tinkly, porcelain that may break under stress. A style no one uses in other Classical-era piano compositions. Certainly no one would ever play Beethoven or Haydn this way but they do Mozart.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Monsalvat said:


> Other than Anda, Perahia, Barenboim I, Barenboim II, and Ashkenazy (and obviously this Buchbinder cycle), how many cycles are there that were conducted from the keyboard?


More recently, Zacharias/Lausanne/MDG, the singles also as SACD, I believe. This has been highly lauded but I don't find the two discs I have (19/20, 22/27) that extraordinary. The d minor is not dramatic enough. The best of these 4 might be 22 with a nice cadenza by the pianist that also includes short woodwind soli at the end (he did this already in his 1980s recording of the piece with Zinman/Dresden).


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Kreisler jr said:


> More recently, Zacharias/Lausanne/MDG, the singles also as SACD, I believe. This has been highly lauded but I don't find the two discs I have (19/20, 22/27) that extraordinary. The d minor is not dramatic enough. The best of these 4 might be 22 with a nice cadenza by the pianist that also includes short woodwind soli at the end (he did this already in his 1980s recording of the piece with Zinman/Dresden).


No but it’s interesting for its vision of the music, which seems to be a sunny one. Sunny to a fault I’d say, but still it’s hard to see how this could be anything other than a matter of taste.


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