Rich and ripe readings of Mozart’s two piano quartets from Georg Solti and the Melos Quartett, in which the conductor takes time off from his podium duties to return to the keyboard – where, in fact, his whole career began. Recorded a year apart, these readings have both thrust and warmth and are made available at budget price for the first time after a long period of absence from the Decca catalogue.
WOLGANG AMADEUS MOZART
Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, KV 478*
Piano Quartet No. 2 in E flat major, KV 493**
Georg Solti, piano
Melos Quartett
Wilhelm Melcher, violin
Hermann Voss, viola*
Gerhard Voss, viola**
Peter Buck, cello
‘The selling point here is that Sir Georg Solti is the pianist. He must have spent far more time conducting that playing the piano, but he needs few excuses for he is very able, indeed at times brilliant’ Gramophone
‘There’s a real spaciousness to these performances – nobody’s in a hurry, and the melodic material is beautifully shaped’ Limelight