Mozart: Piano Concertos 19 & 23, Brautigam
Sometimes I forget why Mozart has endeared himself to so many generations of musicians and music lovers alike. I quickly become tired of his perkiness and, in today’s musical world, his pedestrianism. Then a recording like this comes along, which not only reminds you that Mozart was indeed a genius but not pedestrian at all. Ronald Brautigam brings this music to life, lifting it off the page to perform it as if it was the first time the world had heard this work. There is a freshness as well as humour and delight in each note , however Brautigam is not afraid to bring in the sombre elements, as in the wistful Adagio from Concerto 23.