“Mozart, piano concertos nos. 20 and 23”, Olga Pashchenko

A welcome publication to show that the existence of a version of Mozart concertos on period instruments (Concertos not^bone 24, 25 And 27Then 17 recently) is not enough to make it popular here. When we saw the Concertos n^bone 20 And 23 to be the subject of a CD on a copy of Walter from 1792 by Paul McNulty, it was a great opportunity to enrich the collection. Alas, it is not because it is played on imitation old music that it is good. Olga Pashchenko follows musicological codes, such as doubling the orchestra and abundant ornamentation. But what is the point, if she plays Mozart with a salon tone of romantic essence, with little pauses or slowdowns, like musical glances of a seductress? What is the point if, with a stiff orchestra (23^e), the musical approach is based on such outrageous contrasts (2^e movement of the 20^e Concerto) that they become uncomfortable? This fast-paced, show-off record, a sort of paragon of bad taste, is a Mozartian counterpart to the awful Piano Concertos by Beethoven by Pletnev formerly published by DG.

Click here to see an excerpt.

To see in video