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| Mozart: Piano Sonatas | 
 enlarge | Creators: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Christoph Eschenbach
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Category: Music
List Price: $39.98
Buy New: $26.87
You Save: $13.11 (33%)
Buy New/Used from $21.46
Avg. Customer Rating:  (15 reviews)
Sales Rank: 28702
Format: Box Set
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 5
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 5.2 x 5.1 x 0.8
MPN: 463137
UPC: 028946313725
EAN: 0028946313725
ASIN: B00002DEH1
Release Date: November 9, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Good music and good value August 28, 2006
4 out of 15 found this review helpful
Bought this for my son who is learning to play piano. Lots of good music, not too expensive.
Five and a half hours of joy for not much bucks November 11, 2005
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
This is just about the best money I've ever spent on music. I love Eschenbach's interpretations: tenderness and emotional intimacy in spades---and dazzling effects without self-consciousness or "athletic" display of technique. I would say that he "lets Mozart be Mozart," except that these interpretations have so much personality that Eschenbach's own life-energy must be coming through. I just think that his own personality complements Mozart's perfectly.
FINALLY August 5, 2004
22 out of 26 found this review helpful
I've searched the world over for a box set of all of Mozart's piano sonatas that I liked. The first one I heard was the Glenn Gould version, which in retrospect was not so smart. I like his playing but he hums into the mic during the recording. Real smart.
Anyways, Eschenbach plays these with all the virtuosity and feeling they demand. My favorite piano sonata is Mozart's 12th and he plays it flawlessly; the only thing remotely lacking is that he doesn't quite dig in as much as Alicia de la Roccha does when she plays it on the Allegro movement, but he more than makes up for it with his playing on the Adagio movement.
If it's not your cup of tea it might be worthwhile getting the de la Roccha box set, but personally I think the Eschenbach recording is the best out of all of them.
Neglected recording February 2, 2003
18 out of 20 found this review helpful
As I remember, Eschenbach's DGG recording of the Mozart sonatas didn't make a big splash when it was released. Maybe another set of these familiar works wasn't what the reviewers wanted to hear at that time. However, repeated listenings over the past three decades have borne out that these are indeed fine performances, with certain among my favorites. The recording is rather close-up, which suits Eschenbach's generally crisp and bold style. Haven't heard the CDs, but the LPs had the typical DGG bass-shyness of the period. However, lack of thunderous bass is hardly fatal to Mozart piano works.
Listeners may want to investigate a new set by Elizabeth Rich being released on Connoisseur Society. The first two CDs are outstanding, with that company's beautiful recorded sound to boot.
Now an afterthought: In connection with the review I posted in February 2003, I am happy to report that the bass-shyness I noted on the LPs is NOT a problem on the CDs. Apparently good, solid bass was present on the original tapes, but DGG cut it back, as they did on many of their piano recordings of that era.
So I would recommend Eschenbach's CD set heartily. Further, Elizabeth Rich's set on Connoisseur Society is now complete, and no one will regret owning that one as well. (Unfortunately, it's at full price, expensive even on the Web.)
After the other reviewer's comments about the notes, I decided to read them and, yes, they are indeed kind of ditzy. I suspect that the translator is at least partly at fault.
Eschenbach's Fine Performances of Mozart's Piano Sonatas August 29, 2001
25 out of 29 found this review helpful
Eschenbach's early recordings of Mozart's piano sonatas are still regarded as definitive by some. I find his playing of these pieces a bit too warm - almost Beethovenesque - in stark contrast to Schiff's refined, elegant playing. Yet Eschenbach's performances are almost as elegant as Schiff's; the only ones I have heard which may be better are some recent recordings from Brendel. Unfortunately, the sound quality of Eschenbach's recordings isn't as fine as Schiff's. I wish Deutsche Grammophon had remastered Eschenbach's performances using the latest image bit processing. Yet despite this major reservation, Eschenbach's Mozart piano sonatas should be acquired by classical music fans.
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