Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 12 & 13 (Arr. I. Lachner)

Featuring

Haiou Zhang
Friederike Starkloff
Sophie Pantzier
Anna Lewis
Oliver Mascarenhas
Eunseon Jang

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Composition History

Mozart's piano concertos are considered the true beginning and peak of the genre, with 23 concertos preserved, including works for two and three pianos.

Compositional Technique

The piano concertos Nos. 11-13, the first Mozart composed in Vienna, could be performed with piano and orchestra or à quattro, as a piano quintet with four string parts.

Instruments

Oliver Mascarenhas, the cellist, plays an Italian cello known as the 'Gaffino Castagneri', which was built in Paris in 1746.

Composer Biography

Mozart moved to Vienna in 1781, where he was eventually dismissed by Archbishop Colloredo, which pleased him as he saw Vienna as 'the land of pianos'.

Composer Biography

Mozart's first 'real' piano concerto, K.175, was composed after he had already arranged sonatas by other composers for piano, strings, and wind instruments.

Performer Biography

Haiou Zhang, the pianist on this album, is the founder and music director of the International Music Festival Buxtehude, Altes Land & Harburg in Northern Germany.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Mozart described these concertos as a 'cross between too heavy and too light' — brilliant and pleasant for all listeners, yet satisfying for connoisseurs.