Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 6 in B flat major, K238

“Hewitt plays what sound to be an early piano and is accompanied by a small, orchestra, vibrato-less and rather bleak, which she conducts. I found her playing tasteful without being distinctive” BBC Music Magazine, December 2011 ***

“Hewitt controls one of the lively Favioli pianos she favours to produce a suitably light, airy touch that compliments those aspects of the works' character” Classic FM Magazine, December 2011 ***

“Concertmaster Carlo Fabiani doesn't simply lead his forces mechanically; he gives meaning and expressive weight to the orchestration, Angela Hewitt the experience of valuable thought and feeling. The slow movement...is an example of how she thinks and feels. Instantly noticeable is her strong left hand, varying the intensity and accentuation of the triplets...something profound, as you'd expect of her - and get.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2011

“Hewitt directs the performances from the keyboard; with the piano well forward of the orchestra in the sound picture, her playing is typically crisp, and occasionally perhaps a bit too brisk, though its attention to detail is immaculate” The Guardian, 6th October 2011 ****

“it's going to be a journey as revelatory as her exploration of all the major keyboard works of Bach. Hewitt is also a violinist and so brings elegant yet practical intuition to her direction; much of her keyboard articulation, for instance, imitates string-bowing. She is joined in this exciting new endeavour by the fleet-footed Orchestra Da Camera di Mantova, who share her attention to stylistic detail.” The Observer, 25th September 2011

“David Greilsammer plays and conducts, and is exceptionally well schooled in both skills.” Gramophone Magazine, November 2008

“Aimard pays tribute to Mozart's clearly shaped yet very sensitive voice without sugar coating anything. He strives for finely coloured nuances together with the excellent wind players, uniting transparency and depth in his analytical approach to playing." (Kleine Zeitung on performances of the Mozart concertos)

“There are not many composers for whom one could programme three concertos in the same key. Nevertheless, Mozart allegedly associated B flat major with happiness and with his fecund genius there is little risk of boredom.
A modern grand piano can sound heavy in Mozart's earlier concertos but Pierre-Laurent Aimard handles the solo writing in Concerto No 6 (K238), composed in Salzburg in 1776, with graceful agility. No 15 (K450), composed in Vienna in 1784, shows Mozart's increased emotional complexity and sophisticated use of the orchestra. Aimard encourages orchestral interjections to extend organically from the piano solos; the Andante expresses profound yearning in the most civilised manner possible; the last movement bubbles with affection.
In Mozart's last piano concerto, K595, the sunny optimism evident in the other B flat concertos is mingled with melancholic moods in the substantial opening movement (it lasts nearly a quarter of an hour, compared to the seven-minute Allegro aperto which opens K238).
The Chamber Orchestra of Europe produce soft-grained performances in which glossy elegance is favoured over dramatic colour. Wood-wind contributions are gently massaged into the texture and the horns seem a little distant and subdued but the orchestra produce lean textures and tight rhythms. Aimard directs from the keyboard, an authentic approach that has been avoided by some of the finest period-instrument Mozartians. In true Glenn Gould style, you can occasionally hear him humming along, this immersion in the music nurturing an admirable sensation of unity and harmony.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

10/10 CD Review