Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Overture to Le Nozze di Figaro, K492 (1786)
Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, K491 (1786)
Piano Concerto No 25 in C major, K503 (1786)
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano)
Manchester Camerata/Gábor Takács-Nagy
rec. 2022, The Stoller Hall, Hunts Bank, Manchester, UK
Cadenzas: K491 by Johann Nepomuk Hummel, lightly adjusted by Bavouzet; K492 by Kenneth Broburg.
Piano Concertos Volume 7
Chandos CHAN20192 [67]
The Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, soft rustling then loud explosion of the tutti, should shock: Gábor Takács-Nagy and the Manchester Camerata do. But still room for individuals: characterful chortling bassoon solo (tr. 1, 1:24), pounding timpani attack. The loud passages offset the filigree work of the strings and chirruping woodwind in the quiet ones. I compare a period instrument orchestra, Le Concert de La Loge/Julien Chauvin, recorded 2021 (ALPHA776). Timing at 3:53, Chauvin is faster than Takács-Nagy’s 4:08. But thereby I’m more aware of sheer virtuosity than enthusiasm balanced by clarity of delivery Takács-Nagy achieves.
Piano Concerto No 24 showcases a wealth of themes. The first, melancholic, has two features: opening phrase with rising leap; a six-note motif beginning the second phrase. A consolatory second theme is a descending phrase first on flute and bassoon (tr. 2, 3:19), theme 2a, backed by a more forceful staccato and dotted rhythm motif on oboe and clarinet, theme 2b. Theme 3a, the piano’s opening solo, is a sympathetic arioso with cheerier woodwind response, theme 3b. Theme 4 is a happy initiative in E flat major from oboe (4:28). The development starts with theme 3a, the others return in the order 4, 3b, 2a and 2b. The fieriest tutti of theme 1 heralds an electrifying cadenza by Hummel, allowing Bavouzet passion and brilliance. Theme 3a becomes smoother, more poetic, then agitated leading to fireworks above a deep bass version of theme 1, ending mulling over a variant of 3a. Takács-Nagy brings animation and neatness to the tuttis, forceful moments as enjoyed as the poetry of quieter ones.
I compare Imogen Cooper, piano-director of the Northern Sinfonia, recorded 2007 (Avie AV2175). She mixes tuttis of gusto with eloquent ariosos as soloist. There’s a more gracious theme 3b, more glowing, adoring theme 4, more desolate development. Cooper plays Alfred Brendel’s cadenza taking 1:44, musing over theme 4 before a fierier approach to 2a and 3. Bavouzet’s Hummel cadenza taking 2:33 offers more high-jinks but also lightness.
The Larghetto slow movement is E-flat major idyllic simplicity. For me, Bavouzet mars the simplicity by over-egging his decoration. In the second strain of the main theme, he varies its second sequence of the first five notes, then adds a scooping ascent in the third sequence (tr. 3, 0:49), with more decoration in the second sequence of a new 4-note figure, then adds trills extending his closing 3 notes, losing the poignant silence otherwise between them. Yet his final eingang (mini cadenza) (5:53) is modest and appropriate. Cooper leaves the slow movement’s piano largely pure as written. For me, more contemplative and refreshing.
The Allegretto finale treats the opening theme to 7 variations. Variation 1 (tr. 4, 0:54): Bavouzet’s descant nifty, while Variation 2 (1:47): cheery woodwind inspires him to mercurial semiquaver runs. Variation 3 (2:39): Bavouzet, weightily resolute, complements Takács-Nagy’s tuttis of great verve. A-flat major arrives for Variation 4 (3:34): clarinets and bassoons in pussyfooting glee. Pensiveness returns from Bavouzet in Variation 5 (4:32): urgently working to climaxes, then the second part wistful, while Variation 6 (5:40): oboe melody in C major allows Bavouzet more descant tripping. Then C minor and theme recapped, the punctuation of a 4-note woodwind motif creates a climax for Bavouzet’s dazzling, then pondering, eingang (7:18). Cue for a final variation coda (7:36): appoggiaturas massing in summative defiance.
Cooper’s Variation 1 descant is spikily pert, and she sports a faster trickle in Variation 2. Variation 3 is gutsy, Variation 4 memorable for graceful touch and deft segue into Variation 5. Her oboe is more introvert in Variation 6, her eingang more indulgent.
Piano Concerto No 25 juxtaposes a loud Lord and soft, modifying Lady with a five-note motif (tr. 5, 0:34) soon showing her in splendour, then decorous with a simple second theme (1:33). The Lord’s continuing bravado is stylishly shrugged off by the lady’s six-quaver figure of finesse (2:10), all wonderfully vivid from Takács-Nagy. For the lady Bavouzet introduces a third theme (4:34) in E flat major, glitter, and grace, and a fourth in G major (5:14), a comely apotheosis of the second, the latter driving the development, more vivaciously cheerful with Bavouzet’s fingerwork and Takács-Nagy’s quirky woodwind. The return of the fourth theme secures contentment and happiest second theme. Bavouzet plays a cadenza by Kenneth Broberg beginning in autumnal recall of the piano’s opening entry, turning more sorrowful, pacified by the fourth theme with exquisite decoration before a growingly robust second theme links to La Marseillaise opening in the left hand (14:22-14:30).
Cooper’s orchestral introduction is more formal, less flowingly assured. In theme 3 Cooper is graceful but without Bavouzet’s glitter, yet in theme 4 deliciously relaxed. Brendel’s cadenza has an early shining second theme, pondered a little, then fourth theme in joy and reflection before more reflection regarding the introduction’s five-note motif, then closing with excitingly gathered virtuoso display.
The slow movement is restful and sweetly decorative from Bavouzet and Takács-Nagy, albeit the leisurely approach makes the piano’s repeat of the orchestral introduction seem over studied. Cooper, more leisurely, I find more magical through more flowing introduction and delicate piano response, appreciating the stillness around its presentation.
To the rondo finale, Takács-Nagy and Bavouzet bring more edge than I’ve ever heard. The orchestral rondo theme begins tiptoeing gently, but is soon brusquely assertive in tutti grandeur. Bavouzet’s takes up this mood, ending in both sparkling and brittle semiquaver runs, then introducing the second theme (tr. 7, 1:45), a joyously carefree variant of the rondo one. His introduction of the first episode (3:19), a touch fractious, makes more surprising the second episode response (3:46), a loving melody, more intimate with cello accompaniment in its second phase, burgeoning passion clarified by the oboe’s takeover in piercing high register. Bavouzet’s second theme is now daintily playful before a more embellished rondo theme third outing and coda ending in a blaze of triumph. Cooper’s finale, delicate, courtly, beautifully played, is easier on the ear. Her third episode has an attractive, plain simplicity but glosses over Bavouzet’s growth of passion.
Michael Greenhalgh
Help us financially by purchasing from
