Jeff Grossman wrote:

>...you have to check out the slow movement from the Bb major concerto, K.
>456.  Although K.  456 is certainly one of the lesser-known of the piano
>>concerti, it is, nonethless, a great piece of music.  The g minor slow
>movement -- a theme and variations -- is filled with such bittersweet
>sadness that it almost overwhelmed me the first time I heard it.

Great choice with emotion to match.  The Mozart work which tended to
overwhelm me when I first listened to it was the Great Mass.  Power,
tenderness, poetry, conflict, every note essential and perfect, and a
slew of emotions bulding up in me; I well remember that day and time -it
was great.  And it didn't hurt that I was listening to such an outstanding
recording of the work (Leppard - EMI).

I suppose each of us reads comments on the list which "blows us away."
A possible deficiency of emotion in Mozart's music has that effect on me.
The one I remember best from the past was the listmember question regarding
Bach's music - "Where's the Beef"? I'm not saying this as one who looks
from up high, being aware that many comments of mine have been in that
category.

Don't forget that "old" Alfred Brendel has matched up with the Alban
Berg Quartet for a recording of the piano quartets and chamber version of
piano concerto no. 12 on EMI.  Not forgetting that other master from the
classical era, Mr. Haydn, give a listen to his string quartets, opus 9,
from the Festetics Quartet on Arcana.  Although early in the game, they are
really fine works performed excellently by this period instrument group.

Don Satz
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