Concluding a groundbreaking 30-year recording cycle, Robert Levin’s most recent and final Mozart piano concerto disc with Academy of Ancient Music, featuring concertos nos. 25 and 27, was released last month.
The series showcases Mozart’s complete works for keyboard and orchestra – the only existing complete recording of Mozart concertos featuring the artist playing on four different keyboard instruments – fortepiano, harpsichord, organ and tangent piano.
Collaboration over the years has involved creative musical input from directors Christopher Hogwood, Richard Egarr and Laurence Cummings, and pianist Ya-Fei Chuang.
At the culmination of this cycle, Robert Levin has achieved his goal of ‘breathing new life into these timeless compositions by reinstating improvisation as a central element.’ In recording spontaneously improvised cadenzas and decorative ornamentation, Levin, throughout the series of discs, has magnificently recreated the approach Mozart would have taken.
Met with great critical acclaim, below are excerpts from reviews which collectively highlight the freshness of a project whose completion has taken 30 years.
Performances are full of life and Robert Levin remains quick-witted as soloist… the performances feel as spontaneous as they did on the first volume.
Richard Fairman, The Financial Times
… The freshness of the music is delightfully brought out, with Levin adding his own graceful cadenzas and delicate contributions to the ornamentation.
Michael Church, BBC Music Magazine
There can be few keyboard players more thoroughly drenched in Mozartian style than Levin, and his incursions - thoughtful, cheeky, inventive, resourceful - are always true to the spirit of the music.
David Threasher, Gramophone Magazine
