Notes and Editorial Reviews
The precision of O’Hora’s playing, its distinctness, the stylish shapings of his phrases, and the excellent recording make this new collection attractive.
– Michael Ullman, Fanfare
As close to ideal as collectors would have a right to expect at any price—it ranks, indeed, as one of the finest Mozart piano-concerto recordings I have ever heard.
Born in Manchester, Ronan O'Hora was 30 years old when the disc was taped in 1994. My only previous encounter with him, in a rather prosaic performance of Beethoven's Second Piano Concerto a few years ago, had not promised all that well for the bigger musical challenge presented by two of Mozart's most mature works in the genre. It is all the more
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satisfying, then, to be able to say that he shows himself here a truly great Mozart pianist, playing with an irresistible combination of spontaneity, warmth, and incisiveness, and offering a stylish Eingang and a discreet touch of embellishment here and there (as well as nicely conceived cadenzas of his own in K 467). He commands a pellucid tone that can withstand comparison with Gieseking's unforgettable 1955 live performance of the 21st Concerto with Guido Cantelli and the New York Philharmonic available on the Music & Arts label. Jonathan Carney and the orchestra partner him with equally impeccable style and technique, and the effect is enhanced by superb recorded sound: Balance between piano and orchestra is faultless, the timpani have excellent presence in K 467, woodwinds are appropriately forward (including a particularly witty bassoon in the finale of K. 488), and the moderate-sized string section enjoys a wonderfully natural sheen. O'Hora and Carney, moreover, are both exemplary in their willingness to allow a little life-giving Luftpause at suitable moments, such as the transition to the subordinate theme in the opening Allegro of Concerto 23.
– Bernard Jacobson, Fanfare, reviewing an earlier issue of this recording Read less
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