Building a Collection #25: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 20

With recommended recordings

Building a Collection #25

Piano Concerto no. 20 in D minor, K. 466 

By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (b.1756 – d. 1791) was an Austrian composer of opera, symphonic works, concertos, choral and vocal works, keyboard pieces, orchestral works, and chamber music.  Despite his short life, Mozart produced more than 800 works, and scholars say he likely composed even more that will never be known or recovered.  Mozart was the only son of a proud, infamous, and rather exploitative father by the name of Leopold Mozart.  When Leopold realized his son’s prodigious talent, he toured him all around Europe to show him off.  It is debated whether these trips contributed to Mozart’s chronic illnesses, as he had bouts of typhus and smallpox during childhood.  In any case, it left Mozart with a lot of resentment for his father.  Indeed, Mozart would later boycott his own father’s funeral.  

Although Mozart was employed off and on by royalty beginning in 1782, he never gained a permanent court position and was essentially self-employed.  He married Constanze Weber in 1783 without his father’s approval.  Astonishingly, by the age of 20 Mozart had written nine operas, five violin concertos, at least 30 symphonies, sets of divertimentos and serenades, many liturgical works, six sonatas, and six concertos for piano.  Although Mozart had several teachers, including his father, he was increasingly influenced by Michael Haydn (younger brother of legendary composer Franz Josef Haydn).  Between the years 1782 and 1786, Mozart produced a group of piano concertos from no. 12 to no. 25.  He would go on to write only two more piano concertos before his death.  His final five operas are generally considered his greatest:  Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Don Giovanni (Don Juan), Cosi Fan Tutte (All Women Act That Way), Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), and La Clemenza di Tito (The Clemency of Titus).  His symphonic production reached its apex with his final four symphonies, nos. 38 – 41.

There are several excellent Mozart biographies available, the most well-known being musicologist Maynard Solomon’s Mozart: A Life (1995).  Two other acclaimed books are Robert Gutman’s Mozart: The Man and His Works (1966), and Neal Zaslaw’s The Compleat Mozart (1990).      

Piano Concerto no. 20 in D minor

In 1785 Mozart had just turned 29, and he was at the height of his popularity and renown.  His father Leopold traveled through difficult winter conditions in February to arrive in Vienna the night before the premiere of Wolfgang’s newest piano concerto, which was his Concerto in D minor.  Only the copyist had not finished writing out all the parts, and Wolfgang had not fully completed the orchestration for the final movement.  Furthermore, the composer was slated to be the soloist and had not even had a chance to do a practice run through the last movement.  

As it turns out, the premiere at the Mehlgrube Casino in Vienna on February 11, 1785, was a success with his father reporting to his daughter Nannerl, "I heard an excellent new piano concerto by Wolfgang, on which the copyist was still at work when we got here, and your brother didn't even have time to play through the rondo because he had to oversee the copying operation.”

The Concerto in D minor is numbered as Mozart’s 20th piano concerto and is registered as K466 in the Köchel catalog of Mozart’s works in chronological order.  The key of D minor was rarely used by Mozart, as most of his works are in sunnier or more exuberant key signatures.  D minor is known as a dark key, stormy and foreboding in nature.  It speaks of tragedy, and other Mozart works in D minor include his Requiem, the Queen of the Night aria Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen from The Magic Flute, and several parts from his opera Don Giovanni.  As Nigel Tufnel, the character in 1984 mockumentary Spinal Tap said after putting one of his songs in D minor: “It’s the saddest of all keys.  I don’t know why, but it makes people weep, instantly, when you play it!”.  The only other Mozart piano concerto in a minor key is Concerto no. 24 in C minor.  

In Mozart’s time, the key of a work was imbued with meaning in terms of darkness and light, but tradition also held that the conclusion of the work should be on a high note.  Even though the Concerto in D minor begins with foreboding and tumultuous aspects, and even though this mood returns at the beginning of the final Rondo movement, Mozart skillfully modulates the music into a major key by the end of the concerto.  The placid and peaceful middle movement Romance is also in a major key.  Having said that, the primary use of a minor key would have been unusual in Mozart’s time, and it reflects an almost romantic sensibility that was ahead of its time.  I believe it was the natural progression of Mozart’s growth as an artist, and that if he had lived longer we would have continued to see this growth in future works.  The Concerto in D minor became a favorite of a young Ludwig van Beethoven, and Beethoven would even write cadenzas for it.  A cadenza is an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing virtuosic display.  Beethoven loved to play the concerto, as did Mendelssohn, Brahms, Hummel, and Clara Schumann.       

The Concerto in D minor is structured as follows:

1. Allegro (in D minor)

2. Romanza (in B♭ major)

3. Rondo. Allegro assai (begins in D minor, ends in D major)

Calvin Dotsey gives an excellent synopsis of the concerto in his notes for the Houston Symphony:

As was common practice in Mozart’s day, the first movement begins with an orchestral introduction. The opening looks forward to the dark music Mozart would write for the penultimate scene of Don Giovanni two years later. In addition to the D minor tonality, the uneasy syncopated violins recall Don Giovanni’s confrontation with the statue that drags him to hell; the drumroll-like figures in the low strings resemble the statue’s knocks at the door.

These ideas begin softly, but soon become more forceful as the music begins a transitional passage. The orchestra pauses as if taking a breath, and the woodwinds attempt to introduce a contrasting idea; the stormy music, however, resumes before it can fully unfold.

The piano enters with a new theme of its own, a quiet, pathetic melody. When the orchestra returns to the brooding drumroll-theme that opened the movement, the soloist joins it with fast, agitated passagework. After the transition, the woodwinds once again begin their contrasting idea, but this time it leads to a fully developed melody for the soloist in F major. After an orchestral passage, the soloist reenters with a brighter version of the music it first played. This solo theme alternates with the orchestra’s ominous drumroll music, as if the piano is in dialogue with some antagonist. The music becomes more intense before dying away to a reprise of the movement’s main ideas. The soloist’s once bright F major theme returns in the dark, main key of D minor. Near the end of the movement, the orchestra comes to a grand pause, and the soloist plays a cadenza—an extended unaccompanied passage that Mozart would have improvised on the spot. Many cadenzas have since been written for the concerto.

Mozart titles the slow second movement “Romance,” a term which usually indicates a piece in a simple, vocal style with a main theme and one or two contrasting middle sections. This Romance is no exception; following an ABACA pattern, it begins with a lovely melody that provides respite after the storm and stress of the first movement. After an exquisite B section which continues the tranquil mood, the shadows return in the agitated C section.

The fire and brimstone of D minor return as the soloist launches the finale with a theme punctuated by hair-raising, dissonant chords. This theme alternates with contrasting ideas, including a cheerful, major-key tune for woodwinds. After many developments, the orchestra stops and the soloist plays a final cadenza. The ensuing coda turns to the bright key of D major. At the theater, 18th-century audiences typically demanded happy endings, even from tragedies—in Mozart’s opera, for instance, after Don Giovanni descends into hell the other characters return to assure us that “Thus is the fate of all evildoers.” The cheerful woodwind theme that returns to end the concerto seems to offer listeners a similar optimistic resolution.

It is notable that while much of Mozart’s music became unjustly neglected during the latter half of the 19th century, the Concerto in D minor remained popular throughout this time.  Perhaps it was Beethoven’s advocacy for it, or perhaps it was owing to the minor key which was thought to be more romantic in nature.  Whatever the reason, we can only marvel at Mozart’s creativity and genius to leave us with such a remarkable concerto.  Mozart’s next concerto, Concerto no. 21 in C major, K467, became quite well-known when the second movement was featured in the 1967 Swedish film Elvira Madigan.  In some ways K467 has overshadowed K466 in popularity, but it is the earlier concerto that has more depth and is generally recognized as the greater work.  

The Essential Recording

Legendary 93-year-old Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel has made some wonderful Mozart recordings during his career, and for me there is none finer than his recording of the Concerto in D minor with the late Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.  Recorded at Usher Hall in Edinburgh in 1998 by Decca, this captures Brendel and Mackerras at their peak. 

For me, Brendel’s playing is ideal for Mozart due to his precise and expressive articulation, as well as the inspired energy matched every step of the way by Mackerras and the Scots.  Brendel’s playing has a refinement and elegance in Mozart that just feels right, and although I like his recordings of other composers such as Beethoven and Schubert, with Mozart it seems that Brendel is most at home.  Brendel is also adept at varying his tone to match the mood of the concerto’s different sections, whether it is the darkness at the beginning of the first and last movements, or the more gently lyrical middle movement, or the transition to the major key in the finale.  In the faster passages, Brendel’s finger work and virtuosity is impressive but also serves the music well depending on where it occurs in the concerto.  His embellishments sound completely spontaneous and appropriate, and I am also a big fan of Brendel’s own cadenzas used here in the outer movements.    

Speaking of Mackerras, I believe he was one of the greatest Mozart conductors of the last century.  What made him so great, especially in the last decade of his life, was his ability to bring Mozart’s writing to life with such clarity and transparency.  Mackerras was an advocate of historically informed performance practices such as clean textures, spare use of vibrato, brisk tempos, and sharp horn and trumpet accents.  But he also liked to use modern instruments most of the time, adding warmth and depth to the sound.  This is very much what he does here with the excellent Scottish Chamber Orchestra.  The recorded sound is focused and yet atmospheric, so there is nice space around the notes and some mild reverberation.     

The only other recording of this concerto that comes close to this is Brendel’s own 1973 recording on Philips with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Sir Neville Marriner (see below).  Brendel’s conception of the work is nearly identical in both performances, but the difference lies in nuance.  In the earlier recording, Brendel is more extrovert and energetic, while in this later recording he is more attuned to the somber moods and elegiac phrasing.  Both performances are outstanding, but the edge goes to the later, more introspective approach with exceptional accompaniment from Mackerras and the SCO. 

In short, this is Mozart to live with happily and I will return to it often.  

Other Recommended Recordings

Other outstanding recordings which I recommend include those listed below, they are in chronological order based on recording date. 

Swiss born pianist Edwin Fischer was one of the finest Mozart interpreters of the twentieth century, and his 1933 pioneering recording of K466, the Concerto in D minor, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (with Fischer conducting from the keyboard) for HMV has been remastered by the APR label with astonishing clarity for a recording of its vintage.  Of course, be forewarned that this is a historical recording with sonic limitations, but the ear adjusts readily, and I found myself fixated on just how impressive Fischer is in this performance.  His playing has a fluidity and effortless quality that is actually fairly brisk, but never feels rushed.  Although Fischer is coming from a romantic time period, and his technique includes using generous pedaling, his playing is taut and pointed.  The orchestra’s contribution is focused and idiomatic, and if they are not captured quite as well as the piano, it is certainly in acceptable sound.  Fischer uses his own cadenzas.  If you have the patience to listen to an historical account, this is superb.    

My introduction to this concerto, and a recording I still treasure, is by pianist Arthur Rubinstein joined by the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra and conductor Alfred Wallenstein.  Recorded in 1961 by RCA Victor, this is a grand account by Rubinstein and it proves that he could adapt his technique into a more direct style after becoming so well-known for his marvelous Chopin recordings.  Rubinstein never becomes overly romantic or sentimental here, and he communicates a wonderful Mozartian sensibility while also avoiding excess.  There is a sparkle to his playing, and his phrasing and delicate touch bring much pleasure.  Tempos feel right, and the orchestral balance is well managed.  The RCA orchestra has plenty of bite when needed, but also brings a sweetness to the middle movement Romanze.  Older transfers such as the one I own on CD have a fair amount of background hiss, although I’ve heard the more recent versions have been cleaned up a bit.  Either way, this is a highly recommended recording.   

Sir Clifford Curzon was a celebrated English classical pianist especially known for his performances of Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, and Brahms.  His recording of Mozart’s D minor concerto was made by Decca in 1970 with the English Chamber Orchestra and composer/conductor Benjamin Britten directing.  Reviewer Jack Lawson on Music Web International says that the recording “studio” for this recording was the Maltings in Snape (Suffolk, UK), a barley barn converted by Arup Associates into one of the finest concert-halls in the world in terms of acoustics. The performances were taped by Kenneth Wilkinson, one of the engineers who created the Decca sound.  Indeed, the sound is full, warm, and detailed, fully up to Decca’s standards.  Both orchestra and soloist are relatively forward in the recording, so it does get rather loud in spots.  As for the performance, many believe this to be one of the greatest Mozart recordings of the century.  It was awarded a rare Rosette by the now defunct Penguin Guide years ago, and the aforementioned Mr. Lawson calls it a “perfect” recording.  I don’t find it to be perfect, and to be honest I disagree with the Rosette.  But there is no doubting its authority, beauty, and appeal.  This is “old school” Mozart, and by that, I mean Curzon’s vision of the work is relatively monochrome in terms of rhythms and dynamics.  There are no surprises here.  Tempos are relatively slow and restrained, adrenaline is low, and the tension never builds too much. Beethoven’s cadenzas are used.  While not a first choice for me, this is a beautifully played, beautifully recorded, and rather aristocratic reading by Curzon. 

The aforementioned 1973 Philips recording with Alfred Brendel and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields led by Sir Neville Marriner is definitely recommended for the D minor concerto.  In some ways I like it even better than Brendel’s later recording with Mackerras.  First, the sound is outstanding for 1973, natural with wonderful bloom and detail.  Brendel is more driven here, and the extra energy is very appealing to me.  Brendel, Marriner, and the orchestra all lean forward into the music in a way that truly brings it alive.  Marriner and the Academy were at their height, and their playing has depth and presence.  Brendel is a Mozart pianist of distinction, and I really don’t believe anyone plays this concerto better than him.  There is lyricism, power, rhythmic contrast, dynamic contrast, and a lack of ego.  There is freshness and sparkle, and while Brendel nods to Haskil and Curzon in terms of tradition, ultimately he completely owns this concerto and puts his own stamp on it.  As I mentioned, I like Brendel’s own cadenzas as heard on this recording.

Talented young Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki recorded the D minor concerto in 2011 with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra led by conductor (better known as a pianist) Christian Zacharias, released on the Deutsche Grammophon label.  Only 17 when this album was released, Lisiecki brings a remarkable maturity to this performance, and the recording highlights his clear articulation, lyrical sensibility, and direct way of communicating.  The BRSO accompanies Lisiecki with crisp and transparent textures, a bounce in their step, and alert dynamics.  I can recall being immediately impressed by this performance when it was first released, and I remain convinced it is one of the finest versions on the market.  Lisiecki realizes that it is not enough to just play the notes, and he brings that extra personality to the music without making it about himself.  He plays Beethoven’s cadenzas.  The sound is rich, natural, and detailed.  Lisiecki’s performances of Chopin have also been highly praised, but this Mozart is a major triumph.

The legendary 82 year-old Argentine pianist Martha Argerich is one of the greatest pianists of all-time, and in my estimation the greatest living pianist today.  One of the things Argerich has done over the course of her career is to return to record many of the same works multiple times, and indeed she has often preferred to do that rather than expanding her repertoire into works that she felt were not a good fit for her or that she simply didn’t like.  She has recorded Mozart’s D minor concerto several times now, most notably with the late conductor Claudio Abbado on a 2014 release on Deutsche Grammophon which would turn out to be Abbado’s final recording.  However, it is her 2014 recording from the Lugano Festival (Italy) with the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana and conductor Jocek Kaspszyk that is most recommended.  Argerich is usually quite assertive in Mozart, and such is the case here.  There is a forward momentum maintained throughout that I believe shows Argerich at her best.  The orchestra may not be as polished as on her other two commercial recordings of the concerto, but there is more energy and personality.  A few times I wished for a bit more weight in the strings and more bite in the brass, but overall they play well.  It is Argerich that is the highlight, and she brings an incendiary performance.  The cadenza of the Allegro, and the entire Rondo blaze with passion.

The young Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho is a real talent, and his 2018 recording on Deutsche Grammophon of the D minor concerto with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and conductor  Yannick Nezet-Seguin is superb.  Cho was the winner of the prestigious Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, and he has been performing all over the world and recording albums ever since.  Cho excels at conveying the joy of Mozart, and he is a master at rhythm and dynamics.  This is elegant, precise, and stunningly virtuosic pianism.  Cho doesn’t bring the emotion of Argerich, or the depth of Brendel, but this is very impressive nonetheless.  This is a dramatic reading, with the COE under Nezet-Seguin full of passion, where louder sections are sharply accented, and the orchestra is heard to great effect.  Cho’s improvisatory moments work well, and he and the orchestra seem to fit together seamlessly.  The piano is placed slightly too forward for my tastes, and so it appears proportionally larger than the orchestra in places.  But this is a small quibble.

Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes has now recorded Mozart’s D minor concerto twice, and both are very good.  But it is his most recent recording from 2020 on the album titled Mozart Momentum 1785 on the Sony label that is the better of the two, and one of the best recordings available for this concerto.  Andsnes directs the Mahler Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard.  Andsnes’ entrance is soft and almost plaintive, with the dark and turbulent moods swirling.  The contrasting colors and moods are brought out wonderfully, and the tension is built nicely in the opening Allegro.  Andsnes maintains a fluidity, while also keeping the underlying pulse going.  I have found Andsnes perfect for Mozart in that he never allows emotion to rule the day, but is rather cerebral in his playing.  Here he brings just the right amount of nuance and shading to what is one of Mozart’s most overtly emotional works.  There is a definite arc to each movement, where Andsnes doesn’t show his cards too soon and the tension is allowed to build naturally.  The Mahler Chamber Orchestra is now one of the best and most accomplished in the world, and they play brilliantly while keeping the focus on the piano.  Very little vibrato is used by the orchestra even on modern instruments, and Andsnes does not use too much pedal. The sound is clear and resonant, with everything in better balance and perspective than on the Cho recording.  Andsnes uses the Beethoven cadenzas.  Highly recommended.

The Next Tier

Missing from my recommended list are some very good recordings which you may still want to hear, such as:  Clara Haskil (especially from Lucerne with Klemperer and the Philharmonia), Murray Perahia, Piotr Anderszewski, Geza Anda, Friedrich Gulda, and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

I hope you have enjoyed listening to Mozart’s D minor concerto.  Thank you once again for your readership.  Next time we will turn our attention to #26 on our list, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata no. 23, “Appassionata”.  

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Notes:                     

Distler, Jed.  Brendel Mackerras Genius Mozart/Philips/done. https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-3408/.

Distler, Jed. Edwin Fischer Mozart. https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-3063/.

Dotsey, Calvin. Mozart’s Dark Side: The Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor. https://houstonsymphony.org/mozart-piano-concerto-20/, February 24, 2020.

Lawson, Jack.  https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2009/Mar09/Mozart_Britten_Curzon. 

Steinberg, Michael. The Concerto: A Listener's Guide, Oxford (1998).

Wilson, Kat.  The Heartbreak Key. Rolling Stone Magazine online at rollingstone.com. August 18, 2021. 

https://www.mozartproject.org/what-is-the-best-biography-of-wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadenza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maynard_Solomon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._20_(Mozart)