# 100 Favorites: # 55



## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

*Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 21 "Elvira Madigan" & *26 "Coronation"; **12 Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman", K.265
Robert Casadesus, George Szell, Cleveland Orchestra, *Columbia Symphony Orchestra; **André Previn (Sony)*










Casadesus' recording of Mozart's 21st Piano Concerto with Szell was the first version that I ever heard, and it's still my favorite. The French pianist's clarity and poise are a perfect match with Szell's razor-sharp precision. The authors of the _Penguin Guide to Classical Music_ awarded this disc a "rosette" and remarked on the operatic intensity of the music-making. (This is especially true in the slow movements.) I sometimes wonder about those authors' judgments, but in this case I _completely_ agree.


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