Kristian Bezuidenhout, Freiburger Barockorchester Mozart: Piano Concertos

The origins of these concertos, performed here by Kristian Bezuidenhout, may each be traced to a woman. The so-called “Jeunehomme” Concerto, K. 271, a vehicle for rather unexpected musical daring, could instead take its nickname from the work’s dedicatee: the piano virtuoso Louise Victoire Jenamy, daughter of Mozart’s old friend, the dancer Noverre. As for K. 456, cast in a more traditional mould yet so elaborate and seductive, it was apparently composed for Maria Theresia von Paradis, a blind pianist acclaimed throughout Europe. Two works distinctly different in character, while somehow being aptly complementary…

Mozart places melody at the very heart of his concertos. Introverted and sometimes uncertain at the start of K453, it is subsequently transmuted into birdsong - foreshadowing Papageno - and leads to a finale worthy of an Opera buffa. Imbued with majesty in K482 (contemporary with Le nozze di Figaro), it takes on a tinge of bitterness in the work's slow movement, before returning to more joyful melodic motifs, one of which will recur in Cosi fan tutte. Never have opera and concerto been so close. Partnering with the Freiburger Barockorchester, acclaimed forte pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout brings out all of the singing lines and sparkling bravura of these two great concertos.

From the youthful Concerto no.6 (1776) to the almost testamentary Concerto no.25 (1786), Mozart’s style underwent considerable evolution. In ten years, the young prodigy gave way to a master fully aware that he was opening up new horizons for the genre. With this fourth album in their series, Kristian Bezuidenhout and the Freiburger Barockorchester continue their exploration of a corpus visited so many times before; but with them, we have the impression we are rediscovering each note as if it were the first time.

For those new to Mendelssohn's music, this might look like a recording of some major works of the composer; be aware that they're virtually unknown music of Mendelssohn's early teens, first published in complete form only in 1999. For those already a fan of Mendelssohn, however, they're very intriguing works that show the developing talents of the young composer in a different light than do the set of twelve-string symphonies that are his most frequently performed works of the period.