Warner Classics / 2008
Mozart – Piano Concertos Nos. 17 & 20
Norwegian Chamber Orchestra; Leif Ove Andsnes (piano & conductor)
“In Leif Ove Andsnes’s hands the D minor Concerto K466 is every bit as demonic as it ought to be, and he’s greatly helped by fine playing from the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, with its trumpets cutting through the texture to thrilling effect.” – *****
Track Listing
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K453
1. I. Allegro
2. II. Andante
3. III. Allegretto
1. I. Allegro
2. II. Andante
3. III. Allegretto
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K466
4. I. Allegro
5. II. Romanze
6. III. Rondo (Allegro assai)
Listen on Spotify
His enviably natural, unforced clarity and musicianship shine through every bar and subtle ambiguity. Very much primus inter pares, Andsnes’s sense of give and take as both soloist and director of the Norwegian Chamer Orchestra is as remarkable as his unfailing musical grace.
After this first foray, Mr. Andsnes may get pressure from Mozart lovers to record them all…his stylish accounts of these concertos are among the most revelatory Mozart records of the year.