Mozart's works given a bumpy airing

Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra under Leon Fleisher's recording of Mozart's piano works is uneven and lacklustre.

Composer: Mozart
Repertoire: Piano Concertos Nos 12 & 23;  Concerto for Two Pianos No.7
Artists: Katherine Jacobson Fleisher (pf), Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra/Leon Fleisher (pf)
Rating: 2.5/5
Genre: Orchestral
Label: Sony 88697 43505-2

The Piano Concerto No.23 is the best-known work here but not the best played. The runs are uneven and the speeds are variable. The slow movement rubato suggests uncertainty. The Concerto for Two Pianos gets a better outing. Ms Fleisher joins in, occupying the opposite headphone speaker. A playful atmosphere ensues as she returns the old man’s volleys with interest. There is real conversation in the Andante but the finale is too sedate. Leon dotes too much and his Concerto No.12 extends the genteel, twilit mood to its detriment. Not the best recording on the market.