If you want to get to the bottom of the cheerfulness and gallantry in Mozart’s oeuvre, you can do no better than taking as a contrast one of his compositions that has always been described as gloomy and demonic.

Putting aside the often-cited vocal heavyweights such as “Don Giovanni” and Requiem, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, K. 466 occupies a distinguished position as a resonant counterpart to the charming music he wrote for social occasions in that it takes on a new dimension in his instrumental music. The choice of a minor key, unusual for a concerto, lends a dramatic tone to the composition, whereby the soloist and orchestra engage with one another in sharp contrast. Rudolf Serkin, one of the greatest interpreters of Mozart’s piano works, allows the immense energy of this concerto to slip through his fingers with due care. He battles his way through the weighty first movement with enthusiasm and verve, lets his fingertips dance daintily through the cantilena of the Romance, and then rousingly celebrates the passionate and fiery Finale with a bell-like touch.

On the reverse side the Festival Orchestra rounds off this inspiring performance with the filigree and charmingly effervescent Concerto in F major, K. 413 from Mozart’s Viennese period – as cheerful as it is gallant.

• 180 gram LP w/ Standard Sleeve
• Recording: August 1957 in Marlboro, VT

Columbia MS 6049 -Artist-Rudolf Serkin / Alexander Schneider Conducts The Marlboro Festival Orchestra / Mozart

• Released: 8/28/19
• Format Detail: LP Black
• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: Classical

As described in our Privacy Policy, we collect personal information from your interactions with us and our website, including through cookies and similar technologies. We may also share this personal information with third parties, including advertising partners. We do this in order to show you ads on other websites that are more relevant to your interests and for other reasons outlined in our privacy policy.

Sharing of personal information for targeted advertising based on your interaction on different websites may be considered "sales", "sharing", or "targeted advertising" under certain U.S. state privacy laws. Depending on where you live, you may have the right to opt out of these activities. If you would like to exercise this opt-out right, please follow the instructions below.

If you visit our website with the Global Privacy Control opt-out preference signal enabled, depending on where you are, we will treat this as a request to opt-out of activity that may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information or other uses that may be considered targeted advertising for the device and browser you used to visit our website.