Alicia de Larrocha made several LPs of Mozart’s solo piano music for Decca between 1973 and 1986. In a series of recordings on Decca Eloquence, reissued to celebrate her artistry, this 3CD set brings together, for the first time, all her solo Mozart – nine sonatas, the D major Rondo, and the D minor and C minor Fantasias (both recordings of the C minor – 1973 and 1986 are included in this set). The CDs are filled out with her two Haydn recordings for Decca – the F minor Variations and the D major Concerto. The booklet includes colour reproductions of four of the LP sleeves pertaining to this release.
CD 1 WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, KV 331 ‘Alla Turca’
Fantasia in C minor, KV 475 – 1973 RECORDING
Rondo in D major, KV 485
Piano Sonata No. 9 in D major, KV 311 (KV 284c)
Piano Sonata No. 10 in C major, KV 330 (KV 300h)
Fantasia in D minor, KV 397 (KV 385g)
CD 2
Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, KV 332 (KV 300k)
Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major, KV 545 ‘Sonata facile’
Piano Sonata No. 18 in D major, KV 576
Piano Sonata No. 4 in E flat major, KV 282 (KV 189g)
Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, KV 310 (KV 300d)
CD 3
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor, KV 457
Fantasia in C minor, KV 475 – 1986 RECORDING
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN
Andante con variazioni in F minor, H.XVII: 6
Piano Concerto in D major, H.XVIII: 2
London Sinfonietta
David Zinman
Alicia de Larrocha, piano
Recording Producers: Michael Woolcock (KV 331, KV 475, KV 485, KV 311, KV 330, KV 397, Haydn Variations); James Walker (KV 332, KV 545, KV 576); Michael Haas (KV 282, KV 310, KV 457, KV 475, Haydn Concerto)
Balance Engineers: Philip Wade, Simon Eadon (KV 331, KV 475, KV 485); Colin Moorfoot, Simon Eadon, John Dunkerley (KV 311, KV 330, KV 397); Colin Moorfoot (KV 332, KV 545, KV 576); Simon Eadon (KV 282, KV 310, KV 457, KV 475, Haydn Concerto); Colin Moorfoot, Simon Eadon and John Dunkerley (Haydn Variations)
Recording Locations: Kingsway Hall, London, UK, 22–28 June 1973 (KV 331, KV 475: CD1, KV 485), 5–8 January 1976 (KV 311, KV 330, KV 397, Haydn Variations), 10–12 June 1977 (KV 332, KV 545, KV 576), 31 August 1980 (Haydn Concerto); Decca Studio 3, West Hampstead, London, UK, 3–12 September 1979 (KV 282, KV 310); Henry Wood Hall, London, UK, 3–5 January 1986 (KV 457: CD3, KV 475)
‘refreshing … what a lovely Mozartian touch she has – each individual note glistens … each one of the variations [in KV 331] is very keenly characterised … Good marks to the engineers for such limpid tonal reproduction’ (KV 331, 475, 485) Gramophone, April 1975
‘played with grace and refinement (Haydn: Variations) … considerable warmth of feeling is apparent’ (KV 311, 330, 397, Haydn: Variations) Gramophone, December 1976
‘effortless … this doyenne of Spanish pianists knows how to tap the lyrical source to so much of Mozart’s invention and how to sing like a nightingale. She invites us to listen; but her tone of voice is never over-insistent. … All credit to Decca for the warm and lifelike sound’ (KV 332, 545, 576) Gramophone, March 1979
‘It is not easy to make Mozart’s earlier sonatas sound more than accomplished and fluent, but this great Spanish artist brings out all the tenderness and humanity of this unpretentious little work (KV 282); and she plays the great A minor with a sense of commitment and understanding that is far more telling than the stormy, melodramatic approach adopted by many lesser pianists’ (KV 282, 310) Gramophone, January 1981
‘[Larrocha] plays the Mozart sonatas with great authority and conviction … she seems to see this C minor drama through Beethoven’s sturdy eyes.’ (KV 457, 475) Gramophone, September 1987
‘invigorating … The recording is exemplary throughout’ (Haydn Concerto) Gramophone, June 1981