Sergei Kvitko: Mozart. Post Scriptum
Blue Griffin Recording

Sergei Kvitko owns the label on which his recording appears, but it's no vanity project: Mozart. Post Scriptum holds up as a stellar album regardless of the imprint that issued it. Joined by the Madrid Soloists Chamber Orchestra and conductor Tigran Shinganyan, the Russian-born pianist presents his own new editions of two Rondos for piano and orchestra by Mozart and also performs the composer's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 20. Personalizing the project even more, Kvitko wrote cadenzas for the recording, two short ones for the Rondo in A Major and expansive cadenzas for the concerto's first and third movements. His musicality, refined touch, and command of phrasing are evident throughout, and not only is Kvitko the owner of Blue Griffin Recording, he's also an esteemed composer, arranger, recording engineer, and producer. On that count, it's worth noting the exceptional sound quality of Mozart. Post Scriptum, as the clarity with which the piano and orchestra are captured adds significantly to the impression the recording makes.

Structurally, the album presents the two Rondos first, each a stand-alone piece lasting approximately eleven minutes, after which appears the three-part concerto. Written in early 1782, the opening Rondo for Piano and Orchestra in D Major, K. 382 is, as noted by Kvitko, not so much a rondo as a set of variations. He adds embellishments throughout as well as passages supplemental to Mozart's own. In fact, for one of the variations (not repeated in the original manuscript), the pianist couldn't decide between legato and staccato treatments and so decided to repeat the sections and apply both in turn. The tone of the piece is harmonious, carefree, and uninhibited, and both pianist and orchestra fervently convey that spirit.

The Rondo for Piano and Orchestra in A Major, K. 386 also is believed to have been written in 1782, but when Mozart died his widow sold the manuscript to a publisher, and with an ending to the piece missing, the work wasn't published. A solo piano version was produced in 1838, which was how it was performed until 1980 when a musicologist accidentally discovered the missing pages at a British library. Not entirely satisfied, however, with even this now seemingly restored version, Kvitko added refinements to the orchestration plus clarifications to dynamic markings and other details in the score—none of which would be known to the listener whilst absorbing the material, of course. The piece plays with all of the naturalness, grace, and melodic allure Mozart would have imparted to it, and again Kvitko captivates with the delicacy and charm of his playing.

A favourite of the pianist's since childhood, the majestic Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466 is executed with authority and passion. The opening movement follows brooding syncopations with majestic statements of Beethovian grandeur. When Kvitko enters, he dazzles with devilishly difficult runs delivered at light speed. The piano and orchestra intertwine magnificently as themes develop and transform and the focus shifts between keyboard and orchestra. The pianist's extended solo at the end of the movement staggers in its virtuosity, and as the movement inches towards its end, the sense of a monumental journey having been successfully completed asserts itself. In contrast to the fury of the opening part, the central “Romanze” entrances with its languor and untainted beauty. Strings murmur softly alongside elegant trills by the pianist, though the material does grow comparatively tempestuous during its middle section. Urgency returns for the triumphant concluding movement, all surging strings and one final breathtaking piano cadenza.

January 2022