Piano Concertos 21 & 24

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 21 & 24, Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Conductor: Piotr Anderszewski, Orchestra/Ensemble: Sinfonia Varsovia. Following his award-winning recording of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, Piotr Anderszewski turns to Mozart. Born to Polish-Hungarian parents but trained in France, Anderszewski plays with equal parts elegance and dramatic flair. The rugged opening movement of the C Minor Concerto, for instance, is not as taut and hard-edged as usual, but the pianist's tender touch encompasses a wide range of emotions. The finale has a songful swing that seems as simple as a folk song, yet the angst lies just under the surface. The C Major Concerto, on the other hand, is pure sunlight, with a first movement full of gleaming grandeur, a dreamily delicate slow movement, and a frolicsome finale. Anderszewski conducts the Sinfonia Varsovia from the keyboard, eliciting subtle, colorful playing from this accomplished Polish chamber orchestra. In short, a Mozart recording of exceptional character and individuality from a musician whose career is on the rise.