Recording
Title: The Piano Concertos
Performers: Malcolm Bilson, English Baroque Soloists
Director: John Eliot Gardiner
Year: 1984
Length: 34 minutes
Review
While concerts 20 and 21 were very much a part of the same burst of inspiration, 22 is quite a different affair. The orchestration is different and the overall feel of the concert is different as well. It is, however, by no means worse than the two previous ones.
The main difference is the inclusion of clarinets which at times come across in solo sections giving the whole thing a very bucolic feel, this is particularly true of the last two movements which are also the highlights of the concerto.
The second movement is one of the most delicate, pastoral and beautiful pieces by Mozart and the third is supremely catchy. Surprisingly you will hardly find any of the two in "best of Mozart" compilations... well you shouldn't get those anyway because they are for people with no intellectual commitment who only want to have something to put on the background which will make them look middle-brow at their Islington dinner parties. For people who truly like classical music, however, this is strongly recommended. Oh and this recording is one of the best complete sets of Mozart Piano Concertos you can buy.
Final Grade
9/10
Trivia
From Wikipedia:
The slow second movement in C minor recalls similar slow C minor movements in other Mozart E-flat major concertos such as K.271 and K.364. Mozart's father, in a famous letter to Maria ("Nannerl"), expressed surprise that a call was made for the slow movement ("a rather unusual occurrence!") to be repeated.
Here's the catchy third movement:
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