[DarkAngel]

Yes it really is a forte piano.........two actually.

The Mozart and Salieri concertos use a modern reproduction of Mozart's 1785 Anton Walker keyboard

The later Clementi and Field work uses a later 1802 John Broadwood keyboard,
as I said above when you hear Staier, Brautigam, Immerseel play a rich tone properly recorded forte piano for Mozart hard to go back to modern piano versions.

The Clementi sonatas sound much more like Beethoven inspired works, the Field concertos I don't like so much

STILL waiting for my complete Immerseel Piano concerto set to arrive

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif STILL waiting for my complete Immerseel Piano concerto set to arrive

The Immerseel set has finally (3 weeks) arrived..........

After first two discs it surpasses the Gardiner/Bilson/Archiv set with a much clearer and more up front presentation of the forte piano, sounds much more natural and balanced in scale. I can now easily hear much more detail and nuance in Mozart's keyboard parts, the forte piano with its lack of reverb presents each note clearly and Immerseel's instrument is nicely rich and full toned as in his other recent Mozart keyboard performances. Bilson's forte piano is set back in sound stage and recessed in scale, sound by comparison is washed out and slightly opaque....nowhere near the clarity of Immerseels instrument, it misses much of the interplay between soloist and orchestra

Gardiner and his Baroque Soloists are a bit more energetic and dramatic in the orchestral parts compared to Immerseel's AE orchestra, but the AE play in perfect harmony with Immerseel and the sound is very nice with a natural bloom, a more modern HIP sound, I need to hear more discs but very impressed so far.

Bunny recommeded this set long ago but I was a forte piano skeptic back then and didn't pursue this, now I have completely changed my mind after recent acquisitions! (you can teach an old dog new tricks)

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif [...] The Clementi sonatas sound much more like Beethoven inspired works, the Field concertos I don't like so much [...]

Actually, Beethoven claimed to be much influenced by Clementi.

 

[Tyson]

My Immerseel set is still not here, waiting is very hard. I'm very, very happy to hear DA's latest feedback, since I also have the Bilson/Gardiner set and his criticisms and dissatisfaction mirror my own. I'm hoping the Immerseel will be a set that can match the level of excellence that the recent Brendel and Goode recordings have achieved.

On a positive note, my set of Mozart sonatas and variations performed by Brautigam has arrived. I'll give it a listen today to see how it compares to the Walter Klien, Barenboim, Uchida, and Schiff sets I already have.

And you all might find this amusing - I received my set of the Mosaiques doing the mozart String Quartets and went to rip it to my hard drive (I use a Bolder Modified Squeezebox for all my music listening, with all CD's ripped to level 8 Ogg, as that's where I can not hear a difference on my VMPS RM40 ribbon/planar speakers). Anyway, I start to rip them to my external hard drive and lo and behold, I've already got it ripped there. Evidently I bought it a while back, ripped it, never listened to it, and forgot it was there, and re-bought an entire set I already owned - doh!

 

[DarkAngel]

Tyson
I have also purchased a CD that I forgot I already purchased long ago......but if you have several thousand CDs that can happen

Don't give up I had to wait 3 long weeks for the reptilian dealer from FLA to finally deliver the goods

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I finished my listening to the Immerseel piano concerto set and am very happy, actually thrilled with the results.....even though there is still room for minor improvements.

The forte piano becomes even richer and fuller sounding in later concertos perhaps to match instrument/style changes Mozart would use. In the notes Immerseel's talks about the balance between piano and orchestra changes as concertos advance in complexity and larger band with woodwinds etc are employed. Early concertos features very prominent piano with orchestra in supporting role, but later works integrate piano more and orchestra takes a larger more complex role in the performances, more interplay between the two.

Overall the results are a revelation for me showing how using the correct period instrument keyboard properly recorded just infuses new life and color into these great works. The AE orchestra are slightly more relaxed overall than Gardiner's Baroque Players, I sometimes wished the pace was a touch faster or more dramatic while still having the more polished modern hybrid HIP sound. But because the forte piano is so much clearer, more detailed and better balanced in scale with orchestra for Immerseel this new set surpasses the Gardiner/Archiv set easily for me.

I am no longer a forte piano skeptic and in fact a strong advocate for its use with Mozart, however I still think Beethoven is better served with modern grand paino.

 

[DarkAngel]

I want to rave about a new modern piano concerto series that has two Cds out now and I just love them........even more than previous favorite Goode/Nonesuch, and much better than Schiff, Anda, Ashkenazy etc

Andsnes/EMI

Video

I have owned the debut 9/18 CD and just recently got the 17/20 CD and in light of the recent acquistion of Staier & Immerseel concertos on forte piano I find these to be the best modern piano versions to date, very clear with minimum reverb trying to keep in spirit with the forte paino sound. The inspired Norwegian Chamber Orchestra provide perfect small scale needed for clarity and subtle nuance, very bold and dramatic when needed, woodwinds are especially detailed.......no mistaking these for the heavy soft Perahia, Uchida etc styles that can induce a sleepy mood. Andsnes plays the cadenzas with all the dramatic flair you can imagine Mozart would improvising these on the spot. Can't wait for the next CD of this series

Please watch the short video linked above from Andsnes EMI site that shows him perform and discuss this project.

Bunny how do you like these?

 

[Bunnyears]

I have the first cd and feel very positively about it. I've got the second on order, so it will be a while...

I think that Andsnes is one of the great younger pianists working today. If he's performing in NYC, I always try to get tickets for his concerts. He is always very interesting.

You should also consider his late Schubert piano sonatas which were first released with lieder sung by Ian Bostridge. They have been reissued together by EMI as a double cd. I am particularly fond of his D960 and his D958, although all three of them are done extremely well.

 

[DarkAngel]

Tyson
How do you like the Immerseel and Brautigam purchases?

Just to follow up and my Andsnes rave above I also really like his Haydn/EMI CD of piano sonatas.......uses modern piano and only has 3 sonatas, but they are really great

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif Tyson How do you like the Immerseel and Brautigam purchases?

Tyson do these meet your high standards

 

[DarkAngel]

For Tyson & Bunny and perhaps others.........

Brautigam/BIS Haydn complete solo piano works on forte piano:

Release date is 9/30/08, 15 CD set for $65.99 amazon..........sellers may have it for under $50 which is quite a deal compared to used price of individual Cds from this set!

This would be complete overkill for me, but hard to turn down a bargain of this quality

 

[Tyson]

Odd, I thought I had commented on this set already. Sound quality is spectacular, fully on par with the latest Goode and Brendel recordings. It's also far better than the Gardiner/Bilson set, more musical, more integrated, more echt-Mozart. I've warmed to the sound of the fortepiano on this set, and I really like it quite a bit. I still prefer Brendel and Goode overall, but the Immerseel set is truly the first period set to even come close to these giants (for me). Warmly recommended if you are not a fortepiano fan, and enthusiastically recommended if you are.

 

[Tyson]

I might have to pick up that Brautigam set as well. I only have one complete set of Haydn Sonatas, and it's by McCabe. Not bad, but it's definitely a modern interpretation. A pianoforte set would be an interesting alternative.

 

[Tyson]

DA, why hast thou forsaken me?

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyson /img/forum/go_quote.gif DA, why hast thou forsaken me?

Fear not...........the past few days I have been listening to the wonderful Brautigam/BIS Mozart sonata set again and I really like it, so looks like order will be placed for the BIS Haydn set above.

Release date tomorrow but already one Amazon seller has it for $53 (instead of $65 retail) and hopefully next couple days will see lower prices

 

[Tyson]

Ah, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.