Happy Mozart event.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was about 28 years old when he composed the piano concerto #17, which was given the Koechel designation”K.453”.
Pianist Menachem Pressler was about 90 years old when he played this wonderful piece of music with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO), conducted by Semyon Bychkov.
I located this concert last night in the archives of the orchestra, at their Digital Concert Hall. And I LOVED the performance
The music at this concert began with very nice, light, and graceful phrasing as conducted by Mr. Bychkov. This was a downsized orchestral staff, to assure that too many players would not drown out the piano.
It was delightful to hear the interplay of the various melodies: At one time between strings and flute, and another time between horns and Bassoons. Mozart’s inventiveness and combinations of instruments seemed endless. There were even some sections of the music that seemed operatic.
Mr. Pressler seemed totally involved in the intricacies of this concerto, and his playing was as light and delicate to match the orchestral parts.
At the end, Pressler was obviously moved by the orchestra’s excellence and they were cheering him. The public, too, expressed their appreciation for Pressler’s performance.
Here is Menahem Pressler with the Berliner Philharmoniker, playing this very same Mozart concerto:
And next, here is Menahem Pressler, with Daniel Harding conducting the same concerto: Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17 – second movement:
Tags: Menachem Pressler, pianist, Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 17, Berlin Philharmonic, Concert, event
