Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 14 in E flat major, K449

Two famous LPs on CD. Excellent sound quality.

“Brendel’s 1968 performance of No. 9 is quite outstanding, elegant and beautifully precise….orchestra is just right…the performance of No. 14 is also first rate… a memorably vivacious finale. Outstanding re-issue with natural sound….clean remastering.” Penguin Guide

“This concerto (K271), described by Brendel as one of the wonders of the world and a vision of everything the classical piano could become, was also a favourite of Busoni. In a recent interview Brendel admitted that he struggled with Mozart in early years but found the key to its interpretation during the Fischer master classes he attended as an 18 year old (playing the K310 Sonata).” James Murray

A début in 1958 was that of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, one of the most famous and versatile orchestras in the world.The Concertgebouw gave five concerts that summer, the first of which was devoted to Mozart. Even in a live performance, Wolfgang Sawallisch phrases the music with extreme precision, proving himself as great a Mozartian as he was a Wagnerian after his début in 1957 at the helm of Tristan und Isolde. No less acclaimed by this date in his career was the soloist, Friedrich Gulda, whose performance provided the concert with its point of calm repose, countering virtuoso expectations and in that way anticipating the musical 'chameleon' of the later period.

Sviatoslav Richter has been the most widely recorded pianist in history and the vast majority of his recordings are of live recitals and concerts. Though much has been written about Richter’s phenomenal technique, talent and artistry, it is the uniqueness of his interpretations that remains his legacy. Indeed, he often did not even play the same piece the same way in successive recitals. Just as Richter sought perfection, DOREMI’s Richter Archives continue to present many of his recordings utilizing state-of-the-art digital audio restoration and re-mastering.