Rafał Blechacz’s recent release is, in his own words, a continuation of an earlier project he recorded for DG back in 2008, an album of sonatas by Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart. The unifying motif of this new chapter, in part a collaboration with Kent Nagano and the Dresdner Philharmonie, is the key of C minor: a key whose emotional weight Blechacz finds significant.
Mozart‘s Piano Concerto No. 24 is one of just two minor-key concertos in his entire catalogue, and its stormy drama looks ahead to Beethoven. Where the No. 20 in D minor is arguably more fiery, the C minor carries a distinct gravitas. This reading expresses the solemnity clearly but also taps into the drama, as we hear in the orchestral introduction of the Allegro (track 1). The Dresdner ensemble has a nicely blended, resonant sound, but the rousing nature of the orchestral parts calls for the raw horn blasts of Leif Ove Andsnes’s version with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (Sony, 2022) or the angular urgency of Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s with the Manchester Camerata under Gábor Takács-Nagy (Chandos, 2023). Blechacz’s tone is lithe, vocal, and silky, highlighting the elegance of Mozart’s arching phrases. I found it too uniform in personality, however. The second theme, as an example, is far too placid where it could use more texture and zest.
The Larghetto (track 2) offers some of Mozart’s most exquisite orchestral writing, highlighting the best timbres of each instrument. Once again, the ensemble proves well integrated, but I wished for more distinctive character, especially between winds and strings, a quality that comes through better in Mitsuko Uchida’s earlier version with Jeffrey Tate and the English Chamber Orchestra (Philips, 1989). Her noticeably slower tempo underscores a more deliberate, individual reading.
Beethoven‘s C minor Concerto marks the transition between his early and middle periods: we hear elements of Classical elegance alongside the heroic character of his middle-period works to come. The orchestra lays a strong foundation in its extended introduction. Blechacz is most eloquent in the melodious moments, and there are some lovely color changes throughout. Yet when it comes to generating a more substantial presence, things feel mismatched against the orchestra’s power. The cadenza is a good example: I kept waiting for him to tap into that quintessentially Beethovenian urgency, drive, and ‘madness,’ but was left a bit disappointed by the relative tameness of the solo.
There is much to savor in the gentle glow Blechacz gives the E major key of the Largo (track 5). The opening needs more profundity (sample Leon Fleisher with George Szell), but the running discourse with the orchestra is nicely rendered: the piano may be too heavily miked from 3’30” onwards, yet we still hear the interchanging woodwinds float beautifully above the gently rolling arpeggios. In the finale, the signature offbeat accents would benefit from more sharpness, but the jauntiness of the rondo is still there, and the orchestra again comes through with barreling energy in its interludes.
Rafał Blechacz. Photo © Marco Borggreve.
The solo offering, Beethoven’s 32 Variations, WoO 80, closes the album with remarkable clarity. Blechacz’s agility is on full display, his nimble passagework expertly outlining Beethoven’s intricate counterpoint. While the reading is energetic, with pointed, crisp staccatos, it feels light-handed, missing a bigger, more orchestral sound. There could also be more variety across sections, notably the C major variations (tracks 11–12). While they exude an appropriate feeling of peace, they never quite register as a true arrival. For more sonorous dimension, turn to Uchida’s version (Philips, 1999) and to Glenn Gould’s from 1970, memorable for its unmistakable obstinacy.
Blechacz’s strong suit has always lain in his reading of the finest nuances, but that vision feels rather muted on this album, partly because these works are so inherently dramatic and call for a different approach. Primary recommendations remain unchanged.
Recommended Comparisons
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24
Leif Ove Andsnes | Jean-Efflam Bavouzet | Mitsuko Uchida | Clifford Curzon
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3
Leon Fleisher | Murray Perahia | Krystian Zimerman | Martha Argerich
Album Details |
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|---|---|
| Album name | Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 & Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 |
| Label | Deutsche Grammophon |
| Catalogue No. | DG 4868940 |
| Artists | Rafał Blechacz (piano), Dresdner Philharmonie, Kent Nagano (conductor) |
