COMPOSERS: Mozart
LABELS: Deutsche Harmonia Mundi / Harmonia Mundi
ALBUM TITLE: Mozart
WORKS: Sonata in D, K381; Andante & Five Variations in G, K501; Allegro in G minor, K312
PERFORMER: Christopher Hogwood (clavichord) - 'The Secret Mozart'Richard Egarr (fortepiano) - 'Fantasias'
CATALOGUE NO: 82876 82388 2 / HMU 907387
Mozart on the fortepiano? Of course,
and quite possibly on the harpsichord,
but on the clavichord? Well,
according to the notes accompanying
the latest in Chrisopher Hogwood’s
‘Secret’ composer series, Mozart
played the instrument frequently
and no less an authority than his
widow, Constanze, stated that he
composed The Magic Flute on the
clavichord that now resides in the
birth house in Salzburg. In nearly all
cases, Hogwood makes persuasive
cases for using the clavichord, notably
in the somewhat tortured rhetoric
of the G minor Allegro which is
magnificently suited to the generous
sonorities of the large Hass clavichord
on which it is recorded.
Mozart’s own, much more modest
clavichord, though well recorded, prompts of necessity slightly less
expansive readings. Indicative of
Hogwood’s innovative approach is
his decision to let the iconic, and
unfinished, D minor Fantasia stand
prelude to the D major Duo Sonata
in which he is ably partnered by
Derek Adlam. If the juxtaposition is
not entirely convincing, the Sonata
– an engaging romp beloved of
amateur performers – comes off
splendidly: the rather orchestral cut
of many of its textures might suggest
the need for broader sonorities,
yet it here comes over as entirely
convincing on the clavichord.
Performing on an early 19thcentury
fortepiano, Richard Egarr
takes a more Romantic view of the
D minor Fantasia. His interpretative
instincts where tempo and
articulation are concerned are mostly
very effective and the occasional
glance forward toward the worlds
of Beethoven and Schubert in the
later, more complex pieces is amply
justified. What problems there are
relate more to the handling of the
sonority of the instrument on which
he is playing. The brasher sections
of such works as the Marche in
C major come off extremely well and
clearly the instrument is possessed
of an almost vocally sonorous bass.
Though recorded with a credible
ambience, the treble range can,
however, sound unduly harsh and
some of the more conventional
accompanying figures emerge too
obtrusively. While there is much
to admire, the overly clangorous
quality of some of the readings sets
this listener yearning for the more
‘secretive’ world of the clavichord.
Jan Smaczny