Mozart Sonatas

The brilliant Martha Argerich, the pride of Argentina, once again teams with Alexandre Rabinovitch to give us a performance that sparkles with clarity and flawless technique, and will move you with its passion. If you like your Mozart "soft and pretty", this recording is not for you...this is robust, vigorous stuff.

Mozart, who in his youth gave so many duet concerts with his sister, became somewhat of a pioneer in compositions for 4 hands. My favorite on this CD is the D major K.488 with its glorious andante, but the other 2 sonatas and the short "Andante & 5 Variations" are also beautiful and round out this recording from '92-'93 with over 70 minutes of wonderful music making.

The booklet gives a brief history of Mozart's early years, and bios of Argerich and Rabinovitch in four languages. The digital sound is excellent, and of course, for Martha fans, a must to hear and own.

I have not been a fan of Martha Argerich in the past. To my ear, she usually plays like an adolescent boy: fast and loud. But I bought this recording based on the review by another customer who wrote: "If you like your Mozart `soft and pretty,' this recording is not for you . . . this is robust, vigorous stuff." This I found enticing. For my taste, too many keyboardists approach Mozart's music as if it were made out of cotton candy, rendering it limp, effete and precious, when it is anything but.

Alas, this recording was not a pleasant surprise that could change my mind. I bought the album primarily for the K. 448 Sonata in D Major, which is probably my favorite Mozart composition of all, and not just among his keyboard works. My overall impression of the performance given by Argerich and Rabinovitch was merely one of speed. I can imagine that just before the recording machine was turned on, one of them yelled, "Watch how fast we can play this sucker!" Now, I recognize that often adding a bit of speed can heighten the excitement quotient of a work--Gardiner's recording of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony was such a revelation, or Bernstein's performance of the overture to Rossini's "Semiramide." But beyond a certain point, it becomes a case of diminishing returns, and for me this recording crosses that point. Too often the gorgeous details of Mozart's filigree are lost, and we are left with only a harmonic rhythm, the notes obscured into a blur. It's a bit like trying to appreciate an engraving by Hogarth while riding past it on a galloping horse. Perhaps Argerich would be more sympathetic in a recording of Czerny's Velocity Studies.

In addition, both musicians indulge in musical gimmicks and mannerisms that are distracting--awkward pauses, sudden shifts of tempo, anachronistic interpolations, all calculated to draw attention to the performers rather than the music they are playing. If you are a devoted fan of Argerich--and I know they are legion; perhaps I am alone in my feelings--you will want this album. If you are a fan of Mozart, I suggest you look elsewhere.

Mozart: Piano Sonatas, K448, K501, K521, K381 is a 1994 Teldec Classics International recording starring pianists Martha Argerich and Alexandre Rabinovitch. Robert Forster has written the music notes. English translation by Stewart Spencer. I usually love Mozart but the one problem with this recording is the pace. Both pianists seem a little too happy to play at a very high pace. Like they are in a rush to get over with the recording. Where is the love of the music? The intense feeling? Still it is a fine enough recoding. But would have been a bit better with a slower pace. Recommended. 4/5.