Credits:

Mozart (1756-1791)

Description:

Ciccolini's second album for La Dolce Volta label: Clementi, Mozart of the highest quality ★ La Dolce Volta label presents the second album by Ciccolini (born on August 15, 1925). Ciccolini (b. August 15, 1925) is back with his second album on the La Dolce Volta label, Mozart: Sonatas (LDV 03). This CD was recorded in December 2011, so Ciccolini is 86 years old, but expectations are high again. The first thing of note on this album is Clementi's sonata. Clementi is famous for his "Gradus ad Parnassum" practice pieces, which every piano student learns, but his piano sonatas are also large in scale and cutting-edge in style. This G minor op.34-2 is also a very substantial work with a playing time of about 22 minutes. Ciccolini first heard this work on a Horowitz record. He was so struck by the beauty of the piece that he flew to a music store, bought the score, and spent the rest of the night reading it. Ciccolini is said to have loved to play this piece often, and this performance shows it well. The impressive introduction at the beginning of the first movement, the passionate passages that follow, the consolations in the second movement, and the sorrowful passion in the third movement are all convincing and impressive.It is a pleasure to see a new recording of this great work, full of passion and ambition, by a great player, Ciccolini. Mozart was critical of Clementi, but Ciccolini said that the "Fantasy" in C minor, K475, the Sonata in C minor, K457, and the "tragic" Clementi Sonata in G minor are connected by their drama, and that is why they are programmed as they are. The program is as follows. Mozart's Fantasy in C minor and Sonata in C minor were added to Ciccolini's repertoire when he was 60 years old. The naturalness of the slow but continuous flow of music in the Fantasy is indeed that of the master Ciccolini. The sublime melancholy of the C minor final movement may be hard to find elsewhere. The F major sonata is also beautiful, with every note of the simple accompaniment polished to perfection. The tempo is crisp, and the brilliant passages in the last movement are also brilliantly executed. Ciccolini's piano continues to improve with age. The Bechstein's warm tone and the art of Ciccolini's piano will immerse you in this disc. King International