Peter Rösel - Mozart: Works for Piano (2006)

This slipcase contains three separate Mozart recitals recorded in 1975, 1979, and 1983 by East German pianist Peter Rösel, and each one is a brilliant combination of playing and programming. Rösel's first recital starts with a moody C minor Fantasy followed by a dramatic C minor Sonata, a graceful set of 10 Variations on Gluck's "Unser dummer Pöbel meint," a serene Minuet in D, and a blissful C major Sonata -- thereby tracing the journey from darkness to light. His second opens with a vivacious D major Sonata and a witty F major Sonata followed by a quaint set of 12 Variations on an original theme in B flat major and a coy set of 8 Variations on "Ein Weib ist das herrlichste Ding" from the singspiel Der dumme Gärtner -- thereby presenting a variety show of pianistic delights. His third begins with a sanguine F major Sonata followed by a melancholic B minor Adagio, a robust B flat major Sonata, and a choleric set of Variations on a minuet by Duport -- thereby representing the four musical temperaments. A virtuoso who always focuses on the music and never on the brilliance of his playing, Rösel may not seem to some to sparkle enough for Mozart. But his ideal balance of thought and feeling and the exemplary lucidity of his playing may seem to others to be ideal for the composer. Berlin Classics' very late stereo recordings are direct and immediate, if a bit gray.