Clifford Curzon (piano)English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten
Decca · 4767092 · 65 minutes
Few composers understood the shadow side of major keys the way Mozart did, and his two minor-key concertos — well, one minor-key — reveal that gift most nakedly. The D minor Concerto No. 20 opens with this low, churning unease that feels almost Beethovenian before Beethoven existed, and Curzon finds every ounce of that brooding intensity without overstating it. Britten’s direction with the English Chamber Orchestra is chamber-scale and attentive, like everyone on stage is genuinely listening to each other rather than just playing their part.
Awards:
- Penguin Guide — Rosette
Martha Argerich (piano)Orchestra Mozart, Claudio Abbado
Deutsche Grammophon · 4791033 · 61 minutes
Few composers walk the tightrope between sunlight and shadow quite like Mozart does in these two concertos — K466 in D minor crackles with a restless, almost Romantic unease, while K503 radiates a kind of ceremonial grandeur that still manages to feel intimate. Argerich brings her trademark fire to both, but what’s striking here is how she pulls back just enough to let Abbado’s Orchestra Mozart breathe around her, creating a real conversation rather than a solo showcase. The tempos feel inevitable rather than imposed, which is exactly what this music asks for.
Awards:
- BBC Music Magazine — April 2014 — Disc of the month
- Gramophone Magazine — March 2014 — Editor’s Choice
- Presto Recordings of the Year — Finalist 2014
- Building A Library — January 2022 — Recommended Recording – K466
“Thi is a really fine performance [of K503], with impeccably judged tempos in all three movements, and great playing from the Orchestra Mozart…[in the D minor Concerto] Argerich’s playing is…”
— BBC Music Magazine, April 2014,5 out of 5 stars
Il Gardellino, Olga Pashchenko
Alpha · ALPHA942 · 58 minutes
There’s something about Mozart’s minor-key concerto writing — that restless, storm-lit quality in the D minor — that really tests whether a period ensemble and soloist are genuinely listening to each other, and Pashchenko and Il Gardellino absolutely are. Her touch at the keyboard feels spontaneous and conversational, like she’s working out the phrasing in real time rather than delivering a pre-packaged interpretation. The K. 488 balances things out with that warm A major glow, and together these two concertos make for a pairing that feels emotionally complete.
Awards:
- International Classical Music Awards — 2025 — Nominated – Concertos
“Lazarevitch’s flute beguiles the ear, soaring and diving like a skilfully flown kite. There is a fluid confidence to his playing, an ease with which his focused but singing tone desports through…”
— Gramophone Magazine, October 2024
