The second movement of the F major Concerto is a lovely Allegretto which
starts off in a dignified, swaying, and airy manner, then turns dramatic,
then mysterious; the moods continue changing during the movement.
Basically, a performance which is beautiful and well projects the
surprisingly wide and numerous mood changes wins my heart.

Rabinovitch does very well, eshewing most of the eccentricites of his
first movement.  His performance, directing and as soloist, is sufficiently
beautiful/tender, and he nicely conveys the range of emotions.  His playing
is very individualistic and always interesting.  There is a romantic
"tinge" to the reading, but the movement can handle it just fine.  This
isn't the deepest performance, but it is a very good one.

Haskil/Fricsay give us a relatively slow and fine performance.  However,
I feel that Fricsay digs deeper into the music than Haskil.  Hers is a
patrician performance which keeps its distance.  It works well up to a
point, but I don't think it is a great performance, nor as fine as the
Rabinovitch.

Pollini/Bohm are slower than Haskil and a big improvement.  Bohm is
terrific as he finds every nuance in the music and executes each one
perfectly.  Pollini is right in sync with a gorgeous reading which gets to
the center of each emotion; there's always something important happening.
This is as good as it gets.

De Larrocha and Davis give a fine performance that's surprisingly at a
quick tempo.  Davis handles the pace well with incisive direction; De
Larrocha's reading is attractive although somewhat surface-based.  This
is on a par with Haskil/Fricsay.  The same applies to Goode/Orpheus - an
enjoyable performance which lacks a little in poetry from the orchestra and
incisiveness from Goode.  I might as well also place Schiff/Vegh in this
grouping; it's a good performance but nothing special and not incisive
enough.

Perahia is excellent with a slow paced and luxuriant performance which
could have used some "spice".  This is a great version for late night
listening - so mellow.  It's a somewhat limiting performance, but
outstanding given its conception.

Neither Tate nor Uchida display the superb qualities they possessed in
the first movement.  This is another surface-based performance which is
beautiful only.

O'Conor is much better in the Allegretto; he's sensitive, highly poetic,
and even mesmerizing.  What a difference a movement can make!  Mackerras
directs well but is a little hard at times.

I confidently find Pollini/Bohm to meet all my criteria for a
transcendent interpretation.  O'Conor, Rabinovitch, and Perahia are very
good supplemental versions.  The remainder miss the mark significantly,
although each one is enjoyable on its own terms.

The third movement of the F major Concerto, Allegro assai, is considered
by some to be the finest "finale" of any Mozart concerto.  It is fast,
incorporates fugal elements into the rich fabric of the music, and even has
stretti.  The movement reminds me a little of Bach.  The music is playful
and joyous with just a little angst thrown in.  The pianist has to display
a great deal of virtuosity, and forward momentum is a prime key to an
excellent performance.

The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra does a great job - fast, exciting, and
incisive.  But I don't find Goode particularly exciting or incisive; he
just doesn't penetrate me, and his pacing does not sit well.  So, as in
their first movement, I enjoy the music more when the orchestra is on its
own.  And this orchestra is superb with the fugal elements.

Rabinovitch's Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto is even more exuberant than
the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.  But as he did in the first movement as
soloist, Rabinovitch changes tempo, dynamics, and anything else he pleases.
In the second movement, I found him quite distinctive and very tasteful,
but he sounds whimsical in his decision making in the outer movements.

Perahia's English Chamber Orchestra performs smoothly and in superb
fashion.  They are relatively slow but abundantly exciting.  The strings
are outstanding.  So is Perahia in the more tender passages, but when a
high degree of exuberance and strength is called for, he's a little
lacking.  Overall, a very fine performance which outshines the Goode and
Rabinovitch.

Fricsay is incisive, Haskil quite strong.  In fact, she might be too
strong.  The performance has an overall edge to it that's too much of a
good thing.  Perahia's version is better.  He discovers some outstanding
passages that Haskil glosses over.

I've been listening to some great orchestral performances of the third
movement, but Bohm easily surpasses them.  He has this music in his veins;
his accenting is perfect and the counterpoint couldn't be better.  The
interchange between Bohm and Pollini at the beginning of the movement is
outstanding.  Pollini is excellent, although there are a few spots where I
would like a little more poetry or more strength.  On balance, this ranks
with Perahia.

Vegh and Schiff come forth with their best in the third movement.  Both are
poetic, incisive, and exciting.  However, when played along-side Perahia or
Pollini, a few blemishes appear.  Dialogue is not as pronounced, and
neither Vegh nor Schiff provide a special reading.

De Larrocha/Davis do well, but no better than the Goode and Rabinovitch
versions.  There just isn't a great deal of energy to their performance.

I was hoping that Uchida might deliver one of those patented "edge of the
seat" performances of the third movement which would lift it to the top of
the nine versions.  The movement starts off well, but the dialogue between
soloist and orchestra is a little weak.  Tate provides fine orchestral
support, although he's not as exciting as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra,
never mind the superb Bohm performance.  Most significant, there's little
of that edge of the seat feature to Uchida's performance.  I would have
liked more power at times; her "edge" is too often muted.  I'm complaining
here only because Uchida could have eaten this movement for breakfast and
still had room for pastry.

Mackerras gives us an outstanding third movement - sharp attacks, great
forward momentum, fast and precise pacing; this a performance which stands
tall with Bohm's.  Unfortunately, O'Conor can't match Pollini or Perahia.
Mackerras is all ready to have a great dialogue, but O'Conor doesn't seem
to want to chime in.  He does do better later in the movement, and the
overall performance is at a fine level.

Wrap-Up of F major Concerto:

I don't think that the De Larrocha/Davis version has much going for it.
Their pacing is pedestrian, they tend to be either too slow or too fast,
and they miss most of what appeals to me about the movement:  dialogue,
momentum, excitement, angularity, and the use of stretti and the fugue.

Schiff, Rabinovitch, and Goode are enjoyable performances with significant
problems.  Schiff is the best of the three, but Vegh is seldom inspiring.
Rabinovitch provides a very fine second movement, but the outer movements
are, imho, rather perverse; others might find him uniquely artistic.  The
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is mighty good, but Goode does absolutely nothing
for me.

O'Conor/Mackerras give us excellent second and third movements, with the
first movement finding O'Conor not at his best.  Still, there is much to
enjoy in this issue; Mackerras, excepting for a few moments in the second
movement, delivers very exciting and incisive interpretations at a quick
pace, and O'Conor is a "dream" in the Allegretto.

I ended up a little sad about the Haskil/Fricsay version.  It started off
so well with an outstanding first movement, but never recaptured that magic
again.  Overall, I can't say this is an essential purchase, but I think the
first movement fits that niche.

Uchida and Tate also give us a superb first movement which doesn't carry
on into the subsequent movements.  Regardless, it's an essential first
movement also.

Perahia is excellent throughout.  The orchestra is fluid and silky,
and still gives me plenty of edge when needed.  Perahia is in sync with
the orchestra all the way.  There's just one thing missing - neither the
orchestra nor Perahia ever gives me the sensation that I'm listening to
music that wouldn't seem possible from earthlings.

Pollini and Bohm do give me those sensations often, and all other aspects
of their performances are exemplary.  Theirs is a match made in heaven, and
they do a great job on their own as well.  Having raved about this issue,
I can hear right now a better version in my head, and I'll be looking for
it.  The chase continues.

Don Satz
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