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ESOTERIC - MOZART PIANO CONCERTOS (CURZON & BRITTEN)

Originally recorded in the fall of 1970, this recording of Mozart piano concertos is a masterpiece; a collaboration of two of the world's finest classical minds and ardent  Mozart admirers, virtuoso pianist Clifford Curzon and master conductor Benjamin Britten.  The recording session for this work was dominated by musical rather than technical considerations and the first day of recording went so well that after only two sessions, both pieces had been recorded and were approved later that evening!  After only a few days of editing, this work was completed to everyone's satisfaction.  Truly a rare collaboration and certainly an even rarer performance.

Sir Clifford Curzon was among the finest English pianists of the twentieth century, known for his clear, ego-less performances of the German Classical and Romantic masterpieces.  A quiet intellectual with formidable technique, his fans would frequently comment on his ability to emphasize the personality of each composer, rather than his own.  Mozart's final piano concerto K.595 was central to Mr. Curzon's musical personality for at least the last half of his life and revealed much of his attitude towards performance and recording.  He was virtually hypnotized by the piece as a source of endless variation in phrasing, touch and meaning.

Considered by many to be considered the greatest British musical genius since Purcell, Benjamin Britten was both composer and conductor with wide-ranging talents.  By his death in 1976, he was recognized as one of the principal musical figures of the twentieth century.

Melding the obsessive, meticulous and passionate elements of these two renowned talents, both of whom held Mozart in ultimate regard, this recording is charming and intimate.

To that end, there's an interesting quote in the press release for this disc. "Our (Esoteric's) goal is not to release so-called world classic remasters.  The (Esoteric Remaster SACD) collection is strictly limited to a collection of masterpieces that we have dedicated our true passion to; a collection that deeply touches our producers’ heart." 

The producer referred to, of course, is the brilliant and passionate president of ESOTERIC Company, Mr. Motoaki Ohmachi.  Unlike so many classical music collections, every title in the ESOTERIC Remaster Series has in some way touched Mr. Ohmachi heart and left an indelible impression.  This project is a labor of love and Mr. Ohmachi desires no more than to share the music that means so much to him.  That he is also in a position to create "zero compromise" remasters using the finest equipment available and personally monitor the remastering process makes the ESOTERIC Remaster Series perhaps the single most unique set of recordings available.

“This SACD project has been a dream of mine. The recorded performance is exquisite and my particular desire for this project was to share the harmonically rich and clear sound quality of the original master tape with as many listeners as possible.  The warmth and character of the music hall and high density three-dimensional acoustic reproduction will be preserved as a result of this SACD re-mastering. All instruments are perfectly blended, yet each instrument is clearly rendered against the background. I believe we have truly captured a true master tape sound on a disc.” - Motoaki Ohmachi President of Esoteric Company

The production was entirely without compromise throughout the whole re-mastering process. The best quality master tape was chosen and the finest equipment was used for the DSD mastering process: ESOTERIC D-01 D/A converter, ESOTERIC G-0Rb master clock generator and ESOTERIC “Mexcel” interconnect cables. With this uncompromising production chain, one of the best sources has now been transferred to a SACD/CD Hybrid disc with true “master tape” audio.

W.A. Mozart (1756-1791)

Piano Concerto No.20 in D Minor K.466

Track #1. 1st. Mov.: Allegro
Track #2. 2nd. Mov.: Romance
Track #3. 3rd. Mov.: Rondo (Allegro assai)

Piano Concerto No.27 in B Flat Major K.595
Track #4. 1st. Mov.: Allegro
Track #5. 2nd. Mov.: Larghetto
Track #6. 3rd. Mov.: Allegro

Sir Clifford Curzon (Piano)
English Chamber Orchestra
Conducted by Benjamin Britten
Original Recording date: September 1970