Review: Robert Levin Imaginatively Recreates Mozart's Piano Sonatas

YES! I've been listening to it since the day it became available and I am totally delighted in every way! This really is one of the best sets of any music one can get to know and absorb!

I am so happy that you made a review on this, Mr. Hurwitz! I'm a Levin guy all the way. I try my best to emulate the enlivening of the music that he does with ornamentation in my own piano playing. I cannot wait to get this set. I'm curious, what are your thoughts on Levin's completions of Mozart's c minor Mass and the Requiem? I think they're just brilliant and, like you said, he really knows Mozart to make it sound just like him.

Revelatory, for sure. CPE Bach's comments aside, I imagine that Mozart himself would have elaborated in the repeats. Brilliant release!

You put into words exactly what I was thinking about Brautigam: "fluid cantabile". I have said "flowing" elsewhere but of course you describe it much better

Maybe five years ago I attended a lecture on the history of piano construction and manufacturing, at the University of Michigan School of Music. (No, I wasn't a student there.) That lecture wasn't directly applicable to this talk, since it was mostly about Steinway, but it was fascinating for me to learn that there are academics whose historical specialty is the history of musical instrument manufacture.

Like my Brautigam set..although I'm not the greatest forte piano fan, this sounds quite interesting, thanks!

Oh my goodness, thank you for pointing out this release. The interpretations of Levin are absolutely brilliant. I don't want to ruin it for anybody (warning: the following can not be unheard) but the sniffing and breathing of Levin is annoying. They should have put something over his head like they did with Glenn Gould. Absolutely blown away by his playing though. Pure genius.

A treasure trove!

Hello Dave, I wondered if you had a chance to listen to Robert Levin's new recordings with the Academy of Ancient Music performing Mozart's keyboard concertos. There were three releases so far, with two more coming out very soon, completing the cycle of Mozart's works for keyboard and orchestra, which Robert Levin started in the 90s with the AAM.

Wow, another Mozart piano sonata box-set to buy! Just bought the Bezuidenhout set at budget price (Harmonia Mundi). How does that compare with the full-priced Levin or Brautigam sets? Should one splash the cash for yet another set? (Stupid question, really.) Choices, choices, choices ...

I have the BIS boxes of Brautigam playing the Mozart sonatas and variations, but can't resist this box at barely over $30, over half off the list price. It's rare to see a new ECM recording discounted like that. I don't think the modern piano versus period piano is an either/or proposition and enjoy both in music from Haydn and Mozart to Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin.

I have never warmed to the piano sonatas--with the major exception on the D Major, K576. In most of them the melodic aspect seems bland to me. (Haydn is never bland!) I could never understand why they couldn't be as wonderful as the Concertos. But maybe one of these recordings will be just what I need to learn to enjoy them. Maybe they'll also help me learn to like the sound of a fortepiano!

Generally speaking, I also prefer Haydn over Mozart when it comes to piano sonatas. And I suspect it’s because Mozart gives great interpretation problems. Richter, in his own words, couldn’t come to terms with Mozart’s sonatas, while he loved Haydn’s sonatas. Also Arrau had serious problems with Mozart. He cancelled several Mozart cycles during his career, and only in his 80’s he tackled the sonatas. A recording that I love. There are many videos on YouTube of Levin discussing Mozart, and one can conclude that he really knows his Mozart. So thanks for the recommendation, I’ll listen to this new recording with great expectations.

Thanks for explaining the issues with old instruments. Is this the reason not every Stradivari has a great sound? Mozart is nice but is not as varied as Haydn. Mozart influenced Haydn clearly (and vice versa), but Haydn sound more complete. Sorry, this is just my taste!

To be honest, isn't it a bit of a gimmick to play Mozart's piano sonatas on forte piano at all? Just use a modern piano. It sounds so much better! However, that being said, the forte piano used in these recordings is perfectly acceptable and Levine plays exceptionally well. As David says in the video, it is the way he plays the repeats that make this recording special! It really is something to hear!