Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, K595

“The piano playing is of exceptional quality: refined, multi-coloured, elegant of phrase and immaculately balanced, both in itself and in relation to the effortlessly stylish orchestra. The rhythm is both shapely and dynamic, the articulation a model of subtlety.” BBC Music Magazine, November 2010 ****

“Yoo starts with a muscular introduction, to which Primakov responds with keenly articulated playing that strikes a perfect balance between passion and lyricism. His limpid phrasing makes you realise how underrated K537 is...Primakov is stylish without being anaemic, and he gets excellent support from Yoo and his undeservedly little-known orchestra.” Classic FM Magazine, November 2010 ****

“Big-band, modern-instrument Mozart from Vassily Primakov and Scott Yoo, who have much going for them. Yoo intelligently builds string textures (violins are separated) on the foundation of a firm bass-line...Primakov complements, both a soloist and team-player impressively sensitive to the inner message.” Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2010

“Often, when he played Mozart or Schubert, Artur Schnabel would be told that he made the music ‘greater than it is’…..That said, it needed someone to lift Mozart on to a pedestal alongside Bach and Beethoven, and, among pianists, Schnabel was as well equipped as anyone to do this” Gramophone Magazine

“Schnabel's account of the B flat Concerto with Barbirolli conducting the LSO was one of the mainstays of the pre-war HMV catalogue, and it is good to hear its virtues so vividly restored.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition

“Casadesus and Szell make a wonderful partnership in Mozart: both were stylish and exciting Mozartians and the playing is notable for its poised control and an outstanding ear for colour and nuance....As for the performance as a whole, it is quite lovely - Casadesus was on the top of his mature form and Szell unfailingly sensitive to details.” Nigel Simeone, International Record Review

“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