Christian Zacharias, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausann - Mozart : Piano Concertos Vol 8 (2012) [SACD]

Both concertos on this volume are from 1786: Mozart composed KV 491 in C minor in great haste on 24 March while he was working on the opera Figaro, & KV 503 in C major followed on 4 December while he was writing the Prague Symphony. The premiere of the C minor concerto with its lavish wind parts was highly successful & held its surprises in store for the members of the audience: the masterful symphonic intertwining of the solo & orchestral parts & the passionate tone with which the work by far transcends the familiar traditions. Its 1st listeners called for the repetition of the slow movement distinguished by captivating wind passages. In KV 503 the virtuoso element again predominates, even though Mozart here too designs the intricate textures with bravura & produces most highly surprising harmonic & tonal nuances. And this at a time when his pecuniary soar went into the crash mode. He moved into more economical lodgings & worked like a madman.
SA-CD.net review by Polly Nomial April 3, 2012:
A tale of two recordings.
The 1st is the Concerto #24 in C minor & in keeping with the rest of the cycle that has preceded this issue, Zacharias & his Lausanne CO are on fine form with an eye to HIP practices (not (that) there is a thin string toned chord in sight!) The 1st movement is well played (albeit a little “straight” compared to the superb Mozart: Piano Concertos Vol. 2 – Brautigam, Willens) except in the cadenza – presumably Zacharias’ own – where he is joined by a woodwind accompaniment; very interesting & works well. The slow movement is taken noticeably slower than Brautigam but still flows nicely. The finale is also well judged although some of the wind phrasing may be regarded as clipped in the earlier variations. The split violins help naturally bring out details not normally heard with a modern orchestra – and the details are magnificently played.
The Concerto #5 in C major was recorded before the rest of the cycle so far issued on SACD in 1999. It is immediately (clear) that this is a different time – the recording sounds different acoustically even though it is the same venue. The approach of Zacharias & his orchestra are vastly different – think Barenboim & ECO from the 1960’s. This is unashamedly big band Mozart & stylistically, no matter how much (one) may (dis)approve of HIP practices, one would expect in a cycle for the approach to be broadly consistent. All that entails is duly delivered – grand, majestic & rich. Perhaps not the Mozart that we’d expect (hope for?) these days but unquestionably well executed. The stylistic shift was the only thing that grated with me & it is a shame that this was not re-recorded for this is surely not remotely like any performance that Zacharias would give today.
The recorded sounds are very distinct with the earlier account fuller & much closer without ever revealing intrusive aspects of the playing; some details though are inevitably lost.
Recommended with reservations – NB for the performance marks, both a supreme examples of their type but this contains 2 very different types of Mozart playing!