# Complete Mozart Piano Sonatas



## Fan66

Hi all:

Happy New Year. I am looking for your recommendations on the complete Mozart Piano Sonatas. I have some performed by Uchida, Wurtz, and Pires. Any others you would recommend?

Fan66


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## KenOC

My new favorite is Fazil Say.


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## Pugg

Pires did record them twice so If you have the first one,....besides that, Schiff and Barenboim, good value for money.


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## wkasimer

I agree with Ken about Fazil Say's set - really superb playing.

If you want something on fortepiano, Kristjan Bezuidenhout's traversal is excellent I also like Pires set on DG, and Barenboim's. Andras Schiff's set struck me as entirely too timid.


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## staxomega

KenOC said:


> My new favorite is Fazil Say.


Fabulous recordings, but I would only advise them for someone that already has a reference cycle or two as these aren't typical readings.

My two absolute favorite cycles are Lili Kraus' first recording and Ingrid Haebler's on Denon. I greatly prefer these to the popular Brendel and Uchida.


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## Guest

KenOC said:


> My new favorite is Fazil Say.


I like that set very much, quirks and all, but No.14 in C minor is curiously underpowered.


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## realdealblues

I have pretty much every cycle of Mozart Piano Sonatas released and spent a good year extensively studying each sonata movement by movement.

Ingrid Haebler's cycle on Denon is still my absolute favorite and by the far the most consistent across all of the sonatas, but it's hard to find and often expensive. She recorded an earlier cycle on Philips but it's no where near as good.








Alicia de Larrocha would probably be my next recommendation. It's very inexpensive and you can find it very easily and she's very consistent again across the entire cycle.








Wurtz is actually very good across all the works too but there's so much reverb it's sometimes hard to hear the small details. Uchida and Schiff are both good for their dazzling finger work. I take a lot of issues with Barenboim and his tempos. He plays most of the Allegro movements as if they were Prestos and near every Adagio as if it were a Largo which just makes things feel completely off balance going from a mind blowing speed demon movement to one that drags so slow you could go make a pot of tea and come back before he finished. Although Barenboim did record all the sonatas later for video and that cycle is not near as bad and very enjoyable. Gould is very interesting to hear but not for everyone as it's more Gould than Mozart. Pires is very good at times and infuriating at others as she goes from strong to dainty. Fazil Say has too much fluctuating within the movements for me. Claudio Arrau is interesting but he chooses some very strange phrasings at times. Eschenbach is good in some but rushes the feel in others. There's so many more...and I could go on and on, but my recommendations are the Haebler's Denon cycle, de Larrocha or Wurtz (if you can get by the reverb or are going to be listening on headphones as you can hear the details much better with headphones).


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## staxomega

realdealblues said:


> I have pretty much every cycle of Mozart Piano Sonatas released and spent a good year extensively studying each sonata movement by movement.
> 
> Ingrid Haebler's cycle on Denon is still my absolute favorite and by the far the most consistent across all of the sonatas, but it's hard to find and often expensive. She recorded an earlier cycle on Philips but it's no where near as good.
> View attachment 100536
> 
> 
> Alicia de Larrocha would probably be my next recommendation. It's very inexpensive and you can find it very easily and she's very consistent again across the entire cycle.
> View attachment 100537
> 
> 
> Wurtz is actually very good across all the works too but there's so much reverb it's sometimes hard to hear the small details. Uchida and Schiff are both good for their dazzling finger work. I take a lot of issues with Barenboim and his tempos. He plays most of the Allegro movements as if they were Prestos and near every Adagio as if it were a Largo which just makes things feel completely off balance going from a mind blowing speed demon movement to one that drags so slow you could go make a pot of tea and come back before he finished. Although Barenboim did record all the sonatas later for video and that cycle is not near as bad and very enjoyable. Gould is very interesting to hear but not for everyone as it's more Gould than Mozart. Pires is very good at times and infuriating at others as she goes from strong to dainty. Fazil Say has too much fluctuating within the movements for me. Claudio Arrau is interesting but he chooses some very strange phrasings at times. Eschenbach is good in some but rushes the feel in others. There's so many more...and I could go on and on, but my recommendations are the Haebler's Denon cycle, de Larrocha or Wurtz (if you can get by the reverb or are going to be listening on headphones as you can hear the details much better with headphones).


Ingrid Haebler's Denon recordings are in print in Japan (they also kept many of Sofronitsky's recordings in print while others didn't along with many other pianist recordings; the Japanese have good taste ), the box from CDJapan is approximately $35.


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## shadowdancer

realdealblues said:


> I have pretty much every cycle of Mozart Piano Sonatas released and spent a good year extensively studying each sonata movement by movement.
> 
> Ingrid Haebler's cycle on Denon is still my absolute favorite and by the far the most consistent across all of the sonatas, but it's hard to find and often expensive. She recorded an earlier cycle on Philips but it's no where near as good.
> View attachment 100536
> 
> 
> Alicia de Larrocha would probably be my next recommendation. It's very inexpensive and you can find it very easily and she's very consistent again across the entire cycle.
> View attachment 100537
> 
> 
> Wurtz is actually very good across all the works too but there's so much reverb it's sometimes hard to hear the small details. Uchida and Schiff are both good for their dazzling finger work. I take a lot of issues with Barenboim and his tempos. He plays most of the Allegro movements as if they were Prestos and near every Adagio as if it were a Largo which just makes things feel completely off balance going from a mind blowing speed demon movement to one that drags so slow you could go make a pot of tea and come back before he finished. Although Barenboim did record all the sonatas later for video and that cycle is not near as bad and very enjoyable. Gould is very interesting to hear but not for everyone as it's more Gould than Mozart. Pires is very good at times and infuriating at others as she goes from strong to dainty. Fazil Say has too much fluctuating within the movements for me. Claudio Arrau is interesting but he chooses some very strange phrasings at times. Eschenbach is good in some but rushes the feel in others. There's so many more...and I could go on and on, but my recommendations are the Haebler's Denon cycle, de Larrocha or Wurtz (if you can get by the reverb or are going to be listening on headphones as you can hear the details much better with headphones).


What a great review. 
Thanks for posting it.

On a personal note, I am quite satisfied with my Arrau's Mozart set.
I do have the Pires (DG) cycle as well but it has been already some years that I don't touch it.


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## bigshot

The Arrau set has some great things on it. But if I remember correctly, a few of them were recorded very late in his career and aren't up to the same level. You might just want to supplement with alternatives for those.


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## DarkAngel

staxomega said:


> Fabulous recordings, but I would only advise them for someone that already has a reference cycle or two as these aren't typical readings.
> 
> My two absolute favorite cycles are *Lili Kraus' first recording* and Ingrid Haebler's on Denon. I greatly prefer these to the popular Brendel and Uchida.


Kraus wonderfully captures the playfulness and whimsy in her performances, the 1960s set now released as budget Sony remaster and earlier 1950s set on Music & Arts label even fresher playing but can be pricey now............

















For a similar facile bravura style in more modern sound I like Pires set (new and old), staying with the ladies........



















> Fabulous recordings, but I would only advise them for someone that already has a reference cycle or two as these aren't typical readings.


Also agree with Stax about Fazil Say which I just listened to, individual style for sure but there are times when he becomes fast aggressive pounding the keys in forceful manner which I don't care for......my preference is for playful supple playing with lighter overall touch that captures the humor and wit like like a bright sunny breezy day


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## Heliogabo

Alfred Brendel, not a complete set but a beautiful one.


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## Josquin13

Mozart's Piano Sonatas are among my favorite solo piano works. They're so masterful that I think they tend to get underrated. Naturally, I've collected many sets and recordings over the decades. The following are the best cycles that I've heard to date (though you're going to have to do a lot of sampling in order to decide which you might like ...):

On fortepiano, I would strongly recommend Malcolm Bilson's complete set on Hungaroton. Unfortunately, it appears to be out of print, at least on Amazon. I've returned to Bilson's Mozart often over the years, and think it's well worth trying to track down.

https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Sonata...&keywords=malcolm+bilson+mozart+piano+sonatas

Bilson's student, Kristian Bezuidenhout is also excellent in this music, though his survey hasn't been boxed yet by Harmonia Mundi (maybe soon?), and is currently only available on individual volumes (1-9, I think):

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Keybo...rd_wg=YR0O5&psc=1&refRID=T3V6CT0XXQGXXPZQ9VFB

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Keybo...rd_wg=56b5b&psc=1&refRID=J08RMJF7D2NK5BWEXMS5

Etc.

Fortepianist Jos van Immerseel hasn't recorded the complete sonatas, but his recording of the piano sonatas from Mozart's "Vienna Years: 1782-1789" is very beautifully played, & warmly recommended:

https://www.amazon.com/Vienna-Years...=1-1&keywords=jos+van+immerseel+mozart+vienna

Alexei Lubimov's complete set on Erato is also worthwhile, but his interpretations tend to be more individualistic, and while it's great to hear different ideas and interpretations in this music, in the end, I prefer Bilson's cycle. Unfortunately, Lubimov's set likewise appears to be out of print.

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Compl...qid=1515482483&sr=1-4&keywords=lubimov+mozart

On piano, my favorite Mozart Piano Sonata cycles have mostly come from women pianists:

Maria-Joao Pires: in recent years, I've come to prefer Pires early Denon set over her later DG cycle, and would add that the most recent Japanese remastering has improved the sound quality considerably from the original Denon CDs (see link below). (This set has also been released by the Brilliant label.)

Alicia de Larrocha--as much as I treasure De Larrocha's RCA set (which has excellent digital sound), her earlier Decca recordings are arguably even better (reissued by Australian Eloquence in a 3 CD set--see link below), although they don't amount to a complete set. Her Mozart is more classical--similar to Horszowski's in approach, and she excels at ornamentation. Btw, I consider De Larrocha's Vol. 5 from her RCA cycle to be one of the finest Mozart solo piano releases of the digital era--desert island stuff:

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano...sr=1-1&keywords=de+larrocha+mozart+vol.+5+rca

Ingrid Haebler's 1960s Philips cycle, and also later Denon cycle: Haebler has been criticized in the past for her tendency to adopt a "Dresden china" approach to Mozart (as in the Dresden figurines). I don't think it's a fair criticism, for the most part, but if so, it's more apparent on her earlier, more youthful Philips set than on the later Denon one. For that reason, I tend to prefer Haebler's later Denon cycle, but both cycles are wonderful.

Elizabeth Rich's cycle on the now defunct Connoisseur Society label. Like the late pianist Edward Aldwell & conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler, Rich is a student of Schenkerian musical analysis, and her superb Mozart cycle is unique and for some will be a first choice.

Alfred Brendel's incomplete survey for Philips. I'd recommend the new and improved Ambient Sound Imaging (AMSI) remasters from Universal Eloquence (see link below). Like De Larrocha, Brendel excels at ornamentation in Mozart. He has the ability to make the music sound like he is creating it on the spot.

Christian Zacharias's EMI set. I tend to prefer Zacharias's earlier EMI Mozart recordings (sonatas & concertos) to his more recent MDG recordings (which nevertheless have state of the art audiophile sound). Unless any of the above sets can be found for around $12, this set would be my bargain pick (on piano).

Last but not least, Miecyslaw Horszowski's historical set comes in two volumes & is extraordinary: suffice it to say that the great Theodor Leschetizky, with whom Horszowski studied, once said-- "Mozart is in Horzsowski's soul.""

I would add that Clara Haskil was also wonderful in Mozart Piano Sonatas, but she didn't record a complete set. I also wish that Dubravka Tomsic had been able to finish her cycle on the now defunct Koch label, but she only completed a volume one before the label went under (and I'd highly recommended it). I've yet to hear Lili Kraus in his music, but hope to.

Here are the rest of the links (you can use the ASIN listing--which is the same on all Amazon sites--to see if any of the Japanese issues are available for less on other Amazon sites, if interested, as they might be--or vice versa):

https://www.amazon.co.jp/モーツァルト生誕25...80309&sr=8-6&keywords=maria+joao+pires+mozart

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Sonat...swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1515480166&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/Alicia-Larro...1515480526&sr=1-3&keywords=de+larrocha+mozart

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano...5480460&sr=1-2&keywords=ingrid+haebler+mozart

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano...480460&sr=1-10&keywords=ingrid+haebler+mozart

https://www.amazon.co.jp/モーツァルト-ピアノ...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HRVFQKS123EEABJRN0QF (This appears to be a Decca import Japanese reissue of Haebler's 1960s Philips cycle.)

https://www.amazon.com/Brendel-spie...r=1-1-fkmr2&keywords=brendel+mozart+eloquence

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Compl...8&qid=1515483471&sr=1-14&keywords=rich+mozart

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Compl...F8&qid=1515483398&sr=1-3&keywords=rich+mozart

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Compl...F8&qid=1515483398&sr=1-1&keywords=rich+mozart (The negative Amazon reviews attached to this listing are displaced, they are for another pianist--Heidi Lowy, not Elizabeth Rich.)

Etc.

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano...d=1515483500&sr=1-6&keywords=Mozart+Zacharias (or, another listing--https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Compl...r=1-2&keywords=zacharias+mozart+piano+sonatas)

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Compl...1515480591&sr=1-13&keywords=horszowski+mozart

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Compl...=1515480560&sr=1-8&keywords=horszowski+mozart

And, as mentioned above, here are links to Haskil & Tomsic's first class performances:

https://www.amazon.de/Clara-Haskil-...sr=8-1&keywords=clara+haskil+mozart+eloquence

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Piano...&qid=1515526410&sr=1-1&keywords=tomsic+mozart


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## DavidA

I have Uchihida


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## Triplets

Eschenbach seems to be getting short shrift here. The only poster that mentions him is RealDeal who complains that he rushes things. I don't hear that all. His tempos are sprightly but he can be expansive when the music calls for it. His cycle is very economical on DG and that is my reference cycle.
Claudio Arrau is one of my favorite Pianists but I agree with bighshot in that unfortunately his Mozart was rather late in life. He also has trouble scaling his huge sound down to what we know think of as proper Mozartian proportions. I was unfamiliar with Brenda's Sonatas until I bought the huge Brendel Phillips box. The ones that I have listened to are very good.
Uchida for some reason leaves me cold. She always seems to be overthinking everything and imo doesn't play legato as much as she should. That's the key to good Mozart playing. Mozart himself said that his music should flow "like oil". Uchida frustrates because she is clearly capable of great legato playing, but when she keeps searching for profundity by introducing rubato, she sacrifices this.
I haven't heard Pires but in general I'm not a fan of hers. Her Mozart Concerto recordings seem prissy and small scaled but her Sonatas might be worth investigating. I'll stream some in the car and at work today.
I'm not a great fortepiano enthusiast so I haven't tried any there.
I haven't really searched out to many Mozart cycles because I have been happy with Eschenbach for several decades now. However I am wondering about some of the great Pianists that don't seem to have recorded much Mozart. What Kempff? He recorded several Beethoven cycles over the decades but I can't recall seeing any Mozart from him. Pollini? Michangeli? Pressler?
Richter recorded some but it wasn't his strength. I can't think of other Russian Pianists that have? Robert Casadesus made great Concerto recordings but I don't recall any Sonatas from him either


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## premont

Triplets said:


> Eschenbach seems to be getting short shrift here. The only poster that mentions him is RealDeal who complains that he rushes things. I don't hear that all. His tempos are sprightly but he can be expansive when the music calls for it. His cycle is very economical on DG and that is my reference cycle.


I find Eschenbach a bit too heavy-handed - much like Jandó and Würtz. IMO Klien is more balanced.

Some time ago I owned a lot of Mozart piano sets, but realizing that the music does not "grab" me enough to justify a completist-approach, I parted with most of the recordings, and now I live perfectly well with Klien and Pires (the Denon/Brilliant) for MI, and for PI Badura-Skoda and van Oort.


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## staxomega

DarkAngel said:


> Kraus wonderfully captures the playfulness and whimsy in her performances, the 1960s set now released as budget Sony remaster and earlier 1950s set on Music & Arts label even fresher playing but can be pricey now............


Kraus' earlier cycle can be found on the Complete Erato Recordings box, these remasters sound better than the Music and Arts (my first introduction to these works) since Warner had access to the original sources. It's not too pricey at around $45 and some of the other recordings in the box are worth hearing.










Is this DarkAngel from Headfi circa 2004/2005? If so I greatly enjoyed all the classical discussion from back then, sadly nearly all the regulars left. Apologies if this isn't


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## DarkAngel

Josquin13 said:


> Mozart's Piano Sonatas are among my favorite solo piano works. They're so masterful that I think they tend to get underrated. Naturally, I've collected many sets and recordings over the decades. The following are the best cycles that I've heard to date (though you're going to have to do a lot of sampling in order to decide which you might like ...):
> 
> On forte piano, I would strongly recommend Malcolm Bilson's complete set on Hungaroton. Unfortunately, it appears to be out of print, at least on Amazon. I've returned to Bilson's Mozart often over the years, and think it's well worth trying to track down.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Sonata...&keywords=malcolm+bilson+mozart+piano+sonatas
> 
> Bilson's student, *Kristian Bezuidenhout* is also excellent in this music, though his survey hasn't been boxed by Harmonia Mundi yet, and is only available via individual volumes (1-9, I think):
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Keybo...rd_wg=YR0O5&psc=1&refRID=T3V6CT0XXQGXXPZQ9VFB
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Keybo...rd_wg=56b5b&psc=1&refRID=J08RMJF7D2NK5BWEXMS5


For fortepiano sonatas I also love Bezuidenhout (didn't know he was student of Bilson) and have purchased all individual discs knowing that someday there will probably be a cheaper boxset and I will play the fool......

You really must have the Brautigam BIS boxset because it is so comprehensive with 10 CDs of solo keyboard works many delightful pieces not in other sets, he plays a wonderful replica of Walter keyboard used by Mozart, very good sound and reduced price

















Mozart's own Anton Walter fortepiano:












> Is this DarkAngel from Headfi circa 2004/2005? If so I greatly enjoyed all the classical discussion from back then, sadly nearly all the regulars left. Apologies if this isn't


Yes Stax it is me although I have not been to Head-Fi for many years, I still have huge headphone collection nice gear to match..........


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## Josquin13

"However I am wondering about some of the great Pianists that don't seem to have recorded much Mozart. What Kempff? He recorded several Beethoven cycles over the decades but I can't recall seeing any Mozart from him. Pollini? Michangeli? Pressler?"

Haskil, Kraus, De Larrocha (on Decca), and Horszowski were generally considered "great" Mozart pianists (among earlier era pianists). Wilhelm Kempff recorded one excellent DG CD of Mozart Piano Sonatas that is highly recommendable (along with some of the concertos too):

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...=kempff+mozart&rh=i:classical,k:kempff+mozart

You might be able to find the odd early Michelangeli recording of him playing a Mozart sonata, but like Rudolf Serkin he mostly stuck with the piano concertos (the same with Pollini). In addition, there's a fine recording of K. 576 from Geza Anda on Telefunken, but otherwise, Anda (likewise) mostly recorded the PCs.

Historically, Dinu Lipatti was also first class in the Mozart he recorded--though there isn't much, unfortunately. Artur Schnabel & Edwin Fischer also played Mozart very well, too.

Pressler's solo career has only come somewhat recently--very late in his career (with the disbanding of the Beaux Arts Trio). But yes, he's done some excellent Mozart in the last years, and evidently is on a mission to record a complete set for the La Dolce Vita label (so far there's two volumes):

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Fanta...id=1515536504&sr=1-1&keywords=pressler+mozart

However, if you want to hear Pressler's Mozart from his earlier years (& arguably his prime), your only option, as far as I know, is to check out the two Beaux Arts Trio sets of the complete Mozart Piano Trios on Philips (I prefer their second set). Where the piano playing on these sets is fantastic--a pure joy.

As for the great Russian pianists, Mozart was Richter's favorite composer, and I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss all of his Mozart. Some of it is very fine, though as usual with Richter, his live performances can be of a varying & inconsistent quality, especially later in his career (on out of tune pianos, etc.). I think Richter's best period tended to be in the 1960s, and maybe early to mid-1970s. (Btw, Richter's Mozart Violin Sonatas recordings with Oleg Kagan are first class--on EMI & Live Classics, as are his DG Mozart recordings.) Emil Gilels also had a very strong reputation in Mozart, and is well worth hearing--though unfortunately, as with Richter, there is no complete set:

https://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Recor...qid=1515534669&sr=1-20&keywords=gilels+mozart

https://www.amazon.com/Emil-Gilels-...856&sr=1-1&keywords=emil+gilels+mozart+prague

"Claudio Arrau is one of my favorite Pianists but I agree with bighshot in that unfortunately his Mozart was rather late in life"

Arrau's one of my favs too, & I recently bought his Mozart set. Yes, there are definite insights, but there's no question that Arrau was technically past it. He no longer had the requisite nimble finger dexterity for Mozart, and is clearly struggling in certain passages, I agree.

"You really must have the Brautigam BIS boxset because it is so comprehensive with 10 CDs of solo keyboard works many delightful pieces not in other sets, he plays a wonderful replica of Walter keyboard used by Mozart, very good sound and reduced price"

I agree, Brautigam's BIS set is most welcome for all the Mozart variations, etc. But in the sonatas, I tend to prefer Bilson, Bezuidenhout, and Immerseel myself--for the most part. I think Brautigam is a bit like Askhenazy was during his Decca years, he has recorded such a gargantuan amount of music. It makes it difficult to always be at his best or most insightful. But he's an excellent pianist.


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## Josquin13

I wanted to add, one current pianist that is very fine in Mozart Piano Sonatas is Krystian Zimerman. However, most frustratingly! he won't allow for the CD release of his earlier, exceptional DG LP recording (I gather he is very self-critical?). What a pity, as it was one of my favorite Mozart Piano Sonata recordings during the LP era.


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## staxomega

Josquin13 said:


> I would add that Clara Haskil was also wonderful in Mozart Piano Sonatas, but she didn't record a complete set. I also wish that Dubravka Tomsic had been able to finish her cycle on the now defunct Koch label, but she only completed a volume one before the label went under (and I'd highly recommended it). I've yet to hear Lili Kraus in his music, but hope to.


I do wish she would have recorded all of them, after making it through most of her Mozart piano concertos she is a through and through Mozartian. I'll need to do some more listening to see how it compares to Perahia (who I took a long time to warm to, but now accept) and Anda.



DarkAngel said:


> Yes Stax it is me although I have not been to Head-Fi for many years, I still have huge headphone collection nice gear to match..........


I left around 2006/2007, the forums became increasingly more commercial and the community aspect started to vanish, around then one smaller non-commercial headphone forum emerged that I moved to. Headfi is nearly unrecognizable these days though I do pop in a few times a year to see if Stax are up to anything new


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## DavidA

I saw in a second hand shop the other day a set of Mozart sonatas by Joyce Hatto. I did remind the owner that the set is actually by Ingrid Haebler! Another Hatto fake.


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## Josquin13

"I'll need to do some more listening to see how it compares to Perahia (who I took a long time to warm to, but now accept) and Anda."

I've only directly compared Perahia's Mozart PCs to De Larrocha's, and I came away thinking that the latter's phrasing was often more interesting. I also thought that Sir Colin Davis was a better Mozart conductor than Perahia. But don't get me wrong, I like Perahia's Mozart, & especially the early analogue Columbia LP recordings--that is, before Perahia was contracted to record the whole cycle. The 6 Mozart Piano Concertos in his 3 LP Columbia box set are among his most interesting performances, IMO (esp. K. 466). And they've all been remastered in this recent release, which I'm hoping to buy (for the new remasters):

https://www.amazon.com/Murray-Perah...mr0&keywords=murray+perahia+mozart+box+set+LP

"I saw in a second hand shop the other day a set of Mozart sonatas by Joyce Hatto. I did remind the owner that the set is actually by Ingrid Haebler! Another Hatto fake."

Yes, I remember when I first heard Joyce Hatto's recordings. I couldn't believe how she sounded like a completely different pianist with each new composer she played. But what amused me most was that many of the pianists the Hattos 'borrowed' from had only recieved lukewarm reviews from the British critics, who, in turn, gave Hatto rave reviews:

Granted, the following reviews are not by the same critic, nevertheless, I find it funny that one Gramophone critic is dismissive of pianist Margit Rahkonen's Debussy Etudes, while another British critic totally raves about "Hatto's" Debussy (the same Rahkonen recording):

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/debussysaint-saëns-etudes

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/Mar06/Debussy2_Hatto_CACD91312.htm


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## DavidA

Josquin13 said:


> "I'll need to do some more listening to see how it compares to Perahia (who I took a long time to warm to, but now accept) and Anda."
> 
> I've only directly compared Perahia's Mozart PCs to De Larrocha's, and I came away thinking that the latter's phrasing was often more interesting. I also thought that Sir Colin Davis was a better Mozart conductor than Perahia. But don't get me wrong, I like Perahia's Mozart, & especially the early analogue Columbia LP recordings--that is, before Perahia was contracted to record the whole cycle. The 6 Mozart Piano Concertos in his 3 LP Columbia box set are among his most interesting performances, IMO (esp. K. 466). And they've all been remastered in this recent release, which I'm hoping to buy (for the new remasters):
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Murray-Perah...mr0&keywords=murray+perahia+mozart+box+set+LP
> 
> "I saw in a second hand shop the other day a set of Mozart sonatas by Joyce Hatto. I did remind the owner that the set is actually by Ingrid Haebler! Another Hatto fake."
> 
> Yes, I remember when I first heard Joyce Hatto's recordings. I couldn't believe how she sounded like a completely different pianist with each new composer she played. But what amused me most was that many of the pianists the Hattos 'borrowed' from had only recieved lukewarm reviews from the British critics, who, in turn, gave Hatto rave reviews:
> 
> Granted, the following reviews are not by the same critic, nevertheless, I find it funny that one Gramophone critic is dismissive of pianist Margit Rahkonen's Debussy Etudes, while another British critic totally raves about "Hatto's" Debussy (the same Rahkonen recording):
> 
> https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/debussysaint-saëns-etudes
> 
> http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/Mar06/Debussy2_Hatto_CACD91312.htm


Many critics were caught out by the Hatto scandal. In fact I wrote to the editor of the Gramophone saying some of them ought to consider their positions. I never got a reply. In all fairness they were very cleverly done with altering the ambience of the recordings. Even some of the pianists didn't recognise their own recordings. But it shows what a subjective matter criticism is. However what is inexcusable was that people who were supposed to be experts in the music industry were taken in to believing that a frail old lady who was terminally ill could make such recordings in a garden shed! And with orchestras no one had heard of.


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## staxomega

Josquin13 said:


> "I'll need to do some more listening to see how it compares to Perahia (who I took a long time to warm to, but now accept) and Anda."
> 
> I've only directly compared Perahia's Mozart PCs to De Larrocha's, and I came away thinking that the latter's phrasing was often more interesting. I also thought that Sir Colin Davis was a better Mozart conductor than Perahia. But don't get me wrong, I like Perahia's Mozart, & especially the early analogue Columbia LP recordings--that is, before Perahia was contracted to record the whole cycle. The 6 Mozart Piano Concertos in his 3 LP Columbia box set are among his most interesting performances, IMO (esp. K. 466). And they've all been remastered in this recent release, which I'm hoping to buy (for the new remasters):[/url]


It is indeed Perahia's phrasing and slightly "grey" playing that keeps me from being more enthusiastic about his recordings and after hearing his work with numerous composers I actually think Mozart is one of his strengths. I simply don't agree with the _heaps_ of praise awarded to him by the classical press, even by well respected reviewers like Jed Distler.

Regarding musicians being self critical it is unfortunate if it robs us of excellent performances and one that comes to mind straight away is Serkin's fabulous unreleased recording of Beethoven's Op.110 that he didn't feel worthy of release that I think is one of the finest performances of that sonata ever recorded!


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## Josquin13

"Regarding musicians being self critical it is unfortunate if it robs us of excellent performances and one that comes to mind straight away is Serkin's fabulous unreleased recording of Beethoven's Op.110 that he didn't feel worthy of release that I think is one of the finest performances of that sonata ever recorded!"

I couldn't agree with you more about Serkin's "unreleased" Op. 110. It's my all-time favorite recording for that sonata. Fortunately, his son, Peter, saw what a great performance it is, for which I'm grateful.

"It is indeed Perahia's phrasing and slightly "grey" playing that keeps me from being more enthusiastic about his recordings and after hearing his work with numerous composers I actually think Mozart is one of his strengths. I simply don't agree with the heaps of praise awarded to him by the classical press, even by well respected reviewers like Jed Distler."

Another one of Perahia's strengths is his Schumann--especially his Symphonic Etudes & Papillons, which was yet another early analogue CBS recording. In my view, that recording tends to get underrated. However, during the digital era, it seems that Perahia can do no wrong, everything he touches turns to accolades from the British rags.


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## Holden4th

Josquin13 said:


> *As for the great Russian pianists, Mozart was Richter's favorite composer, *and I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss all of his Mozart. Some of it is very fine, though as usual with Richter, his live performances can be of a varying & inconsistent quality, especially later in his career (on out of tune pianos, etc.). I think Richter's best period tended to be in the 1960s, and maybe early to mid-1970s. (Btw, Richter's Mozart Violin Sonatas recordings with Oleg Kagan are first class--on EMI & Live Classics, as are his DG Mozart recordings.) Emil Gilels also had a very strong reputation in Mozart, and is well worth hearing--though unfortunately, as with Richter, there is no complete set:


I'm going to respectfully disagree with you here Josquin. In Bruno Monsaigneon's excellent DVD bio of Richter, the great man himself professed that he "didn't understand Mozart".


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## Jos

.






.

I enjoy Ingrid Haebler on Philips, the Gould (CBS) gets very little play. Although interesting it is, as Realdealblues said, a bit more Gould than Mozart. Same as with his Haydn sonatas btw.
Now that they are out of the crates I'm going to play both sets this weekend !


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## Oldhoosierdude

View attachment 102611


What do knowledgeable people think of Biegel's recording? Its available on CD or mp3. I have the mp3 download. According to user reviews it's good in that he does repeats and doesn't over embellish. That's good, right?

I don't know much about these sonatas or Biegel but I like it.


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## Oldhoosierdude

Oldhoosierdude said:


> View attachment 102611
> 
> 
> What do knowledgeable people think of Biegel's recording? Its available on CD or mp3. I have the mp3 download. According to user reviews it's good in that he does repeats and doesn't over embellish. That's good, right?
> 
> I don't know much about these sonatas or Biegel but I like it.


My one issue with Biegel would be the overall sound of the piano. Maybe it was mic placement or some other recording thing. The sound is too good, it comes across a bit harsh to me, not cold but not the least bit warm. But, you hear every note play with good technical skill.


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## Oldhoosierdude

How about Carmen Piazzini in her 1989 recording? Opposite of Biegel previously mentioned, her sound is warmer and pace a bit slower. I know it is available as CD and download.


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## premont

Oldhoosierdude said:


> How about Carmen Piazzini in her 1989 recording? Opposite of Biegel previously mentioned, her sound is warmer and pace a bit slower. I know it is available as CD and download.
> 
> View attachment 102664


A generally sympathetic reading IMO, but not exceptional.


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## Mal

premont said:


> IMO Klien is more balanced...


I have Klien and agree with "more balanced", he's consistently good, though Uchida excels in some, so both sets good to have. Klien also very inexpensive!


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## oneleaf

Among the sets I heard, I always go back to Tuija Hakkila's Fortepiano set on Finlandia, which is hard to find now. I have heard a bit of Brautigam's and like it as well, but have grown to love Hakkila's above others. I also really like Wurtz' cycle. I really need to get the Haebler Denon set someday. I also like Daniel Ben-Pienaar's, but a lot of people find it rushed. But I spend a few months listening to it last year and I ended up enjoying his interpretations very much.


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## wkasimer

oneleaf said:


> Among the sets I heard, I always go back to Tuija Hakkila's Fortepiano set on Finlandia, which is hard to find now. I have heard a bit of Brautigam's and like it as well, but have grown to love Hakkila's above others.


I agree - the only reasons I didn't mention her earlier are the limited availabiity and high cost of her recordings. Her recording of the Beethoven works for piano and cello with Karttunen is also on my desert island list.


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## Mal

Josquin13 said:


> I wanted to add, one current pianist that is very fine in Mozart Piano Sonatas is Krystian Zimerman. However, most frustratingly! he won't allow for the CD release of his earlier, exceptional DG LP recording (I gather he is very self-critical?). What a pity, as it was one of my favorite Mozart Piano Sonata recordings during the LP era.


Can he stop DG? I heard he wasn't happy about DG still selling his early Chopin Piano concertos. They are the best performances I've heard from anyone, and Penguin ranked them top back in 1999. They are still on sale. Artists are often bad critics, especially bad self critics, don't let them decide! *We* should decide.


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## Star

Mal said:


> Can he stop DG? I heard he wasn't happy about DG still selling his early Chopin Piano concertos. They are the best performances I've heard from anyone, and Penguin ranked them top back in 1999. They are still on sale. *Artists are often bad critics, especially bad self critics, don't let them decide! *We* should decide.*




Yes. Richter said of his blindingly played Brahms 2 with Leinsdorf, "I can find nothing good about it!"


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## Mandryka

I'll just report that I've been listening to a lot of Mozart on modern piano these past two months, complete sets, and it turns out that there's only one that I can tolerate these days - Leon McCawley.


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## wkasimer

Mandryka said:


> I'll just report that I've been listening to a lot of Mozart on modern piano these past two months, complete sets, and it turns out that there's only one that I can tolerate these days - Leon McCawley.


Thanks for the tip. I've never heard of him, but his set is on Spotify, and it's excellent. Energetic but without perversion.


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## Oldhoosierdude

You can download the Walter Klein recording plus other works for $.60 at Classics Select. I couldn't pass it up.


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## Mandryka

Oldhoosierdude said:


> You can download the Walter Klein recording plus other works for $.60 at Classics Select. I couldn't pass it up.
> View attachment 110395


Walter Klien, not Klein.


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## Mandryka

wkasimer said:


> Thanks for the tip. I've never heard of him, but his set is on Spotify, and it's excellent. Energetic but without perversion.


He's released some Haydn now, and his Schumann is exceptional too, as are the Chopin mazurkas. I think he's a great pianist who, for one reason or another, probably by choice, has bypassed the star system. In London he could just about sell out the Wigmore, but no chance he could play the RFH with a solo recital.


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## KenOC

Just FYI Walter Klien, Austrian pianist, appears to have died in 1991.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Klien


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## DavidA

KenOC said:


> Just FYI Walter Klien, Austrian pianist, appears to have died in 1991.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Klien


Remember hearing him at Wigmore Hall many years ago. I had his set of Mozart sonatas - very well played but pretty dimly recorded. I now have Uchida and Klára Würtz in the Brilliant Complete Edition (which I picked up for £20 from a charity shop)


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## starthrower

I ordered the Ingrid Haebler set from cdJapan a couple weeks ago. Still waiting for it to arrive.


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## Oldhoosierdude

Mandryka said:


> Walter Klien, not Klein.


Of course. Crud, now I can't edit.


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## Itullian

starthrower said:


> I ordered the Ingrid Haebler set from cdJapan a couple weeks ago. Still waiting for it to arrive.


I have it. It's great!


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## rodrigaj

KenOC said:


> My new favorite is Fazil Say.


His vocalizations kill this set for me.


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## BlackAdderLXX

realdealblues said:


> I have pretty much every cycle of Mozart Piano Sonatas released and spent a good year extensively studying each sonata movement by movement.
> 
> Ingrid Haebler's cycle on Denon is still my absolute favorite and by the far the most consistent across all of the sonatas, but it's hard to find and often expensive. She recorded an earlier cycle on Philips but it's no where near as good.
> View attachment 100536
> 
> 
> Alicia de Larrocha would probably be my next recommendation. It's very inexpensive and you can find it very easily and she's very consistent again across the entire cycle.
> View attachment 100537
> 
> 
> Wurtz is actually very good across all the works too but there's so much reverb it's sometimes hard to hear the small details.


I had exactly the same thought. Very good performance but the engineering was not my cup of tea to the point of being a distraction.


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## starthrower

I bought the Ingrid Haebler on Denon. I haven't explored it fully but they are very good recordings.


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## Allegro Con Brio

Uchida owns the Mozart sonatas IMO. She makes me smile with every movement. I also really like Fazil Say’s creative playing despite the Gouldian vocalizations, Pires’s sparkling interpretations, and Arrau’s more magisterial visions of these sonatas. Some of the ones previously mentioned like Wurtz, Haskil and de Laroccha I can find to be too “dry” (not pedalled enough) and “dainty,” like they’re trying to paint Mozart as nice background music. I like a little more muscle, flair, and character.


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## flamencosketches

Allegro Con Brio said:


> I like a little more muscle, flair, and character.


With that in mind I would recommend checking out Christoph Eschenbach on DG, who has become my go-to for Mozart lately.


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## Itullian

flamencosketches said:


> With that in mind I would recommend checking out Christoph Eschenbach on DG, who has become my go-to for Mozart lately.


That's a great set.


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## Captainnumber36

Pires is my current favorite cycle. Such detail!


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## RobertJTh

A complete set not mentioned yet: Karl Engel.
And underrated pianist who had Mozart in his veins, beautifully and idomatically played, well recorded too.


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## Wigmar

Fan66 said:


> Hi all:
> 
> Happy New Year. I am looking for your recommendations on the complete Mozart Piano Sonatas. I have some performed by Uchida, Wurtz, and Pires. Any others you would recommend?
> 
> Fan66


Brendel is a very good Mozart interpreter, I have nearly all his Philips recordings, both lp's and the later recorded on cd. 
Haskil is as well outstanding, and I have also a couple of recordings with Larrocha, another first rate Mozart performer


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