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Re: Mozart's 24th Piano Concerto
Daniel Baldwin wrote : "Does GG's justification for their inclusion actually
conform to historical performance practice, or is this just another instance
of his eccentricity running amok?"
To answer your question: It does follow historical practice. In Mozart's
Piano Concerto No.26 for example, Mozart didn't write a left hand part for
much (or all ) of the score. He did perform the work and must have adlibbed
the left hand part. IIRC, the modern printed scores have a left hand part
written in by an editor. Malcolm Bilson's recordings of the Mozart Piano
Concerti on a forte-piano with a period instrument orchestra have many such
embellishments in both the right and left hand parts to conform to
historical practice. BTW, I really like the Bilson Mozart recordings. I
recommend them as an alternative to the more modern recordings.
Eric Cline x 8116
Senior R & D Chemist
Emulsion, Urethane & UV Polymer Synthesis
Reichhold, Inc.
North American Coatings Business
e-mail: eric.cline@reichhold.com <mailto:eric.cline@reichhold.com>
http://www.reichhold.com <http://www.reichhold.com>
(Click here to go to the Reichhold home page)
-----Original Message-----
From: Baldwin, Daniel [mailto:baldwin@BAERMARKS.COM]
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2000 12:57 PM
To: F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU
Subject: GG: Mozart's 24th Piano Concerto
Hello f_minors.
I recently acquired GG's recording of Mozart's 24th
piano concerto ,
with Walter Susskind conducting the CBC orchestra. I think
it's a gripping,
emotionally charged performance, with GG fully committed and
not taking his
(usual) ironic, detached stance towards Mozart. Plus, his
chrystalline
articulation and bell-like tone serve the music perfectly.
However, there is
one controversial element of the performance -- GG
interpolates a left-hand
line at certain points when the score calls only for a
right-hand passage.
In fact, he accentuates some of these left-hand "inventions"
more than the
right-hand line. In the liner notes, GG is quoted as saying
that the
additions are appropriate because (according to GG) Mozart
is known to have
skimped on some left-handed accompaniment in the score, and
to have filled
in these "gaps" by improvisation in performance. GG likens
it to a
continuo-type function. After repeated listenings, I have
gotten used to
these interpolations and they actually heighten the drama
(particularly when
GG uses them at points where a solo piano passage is segue -
ing into an
orchestral passage). But -- whether they sound good or not
-- does GG's
justification for their inclusion actually conform to
historical performance
practice, or is this just another instance of his
eccentricity running amok?
Daniel Baldwin
BAER MARKS & UPHAM LLP
805 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Tel: (212) 702-5700
Fax: (212) 702-5941
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