Mozart Piano k 484

An Original Jackets treasury of analogue-era pianism by legendary and lesser-known names from the catalogues of American Decca and Westminster.

On 100 discs (99 CD & 1 DVD), this box presents the complete oeuvre of Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert on Archiv Produktion. Purcell, Vivaldi, Handel, Bach, Haydn and Mozart are the focus of the repertoire. Numerous recordings such as the Brandenburg Concertos, Corelli's Concerti Grossi or the symphonies of William Boyce are among the milestones of recording history. A Bach album from the ensemble's early days is released for the first time on CD, as well as the never-published Dead March from Handel's "Saul". A 184-page booklet with essays by Trevor Pinnock and Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, the director of the Royal Academy of Music, as well as numerous photos and documents complete the extensive portrait.

It would not be an overstatement to say that this CD contains the best interpretations of Scarlatti on the harpsichord, in the same league with Horowitz's famous recordings of Scarlatti on the piano. Too often, performances of Scarlatti sonatas on harpsichord are often played too straight, making the pieces sound like Mozart, or with too much rubato, making them sound like Chopin. In sharp contrast, Mr. Sgrizzi captures all the features that distinguish Scarlatti from other major keyboard composers: dynamic Spanish rhythms, strong but pleasing dissonances, and striking chord changes that are unusual but kept within an 18th-century musical framework.