Dussek: Piano Concertos (Hyperion)

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Jan Ladislav Dussek could have been a contender if only Mozart had been born somewhere else and at another time. Dussek (1760 to 1812) has the wrong dates and the wrong skill sets. Two bars into every movement he picks a note that you know Mozart would have declined for a better choice and, while Dussek may recover quickly and deliver a passage that could pass for Clementi at his best, your ear is already tensed for the next false turn.

Of the three concertos on offer here, two are contemporaneous with late Mozart in 1787 and 1791 yet have low opus numbers of 3 and 14. Maybe Dussek was a slow developer. The Andantino of Opus 3 has an opening statement of real interest, only to fizzle out into platitudes as the composer fails to sustain it.

The third concerto, dated 1801, is more confident and the adagio has an almost Beethovenian breadth, albeit without the basis of a gripping theme. That said, I find it fascinating to see how often Dussek just misses the main chance, settlng for an acceptable phrase where Mozart would have found the note juste. Howard Shelley plays with superb conviction and the Ulster Orchestra sound pretty good. Dussek or no Dussek, this is not a wasted hour. 

This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en: Francais (French)

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About Author

Norman Lebrecht is a prolific writer on music and cultural affairs. His blog, Slipped Disc, is one of the most popular sites for cultural news. He presents The Lebrecht Interview on BBC Radio 3 and is a contributor to several publications, including the Wall Street Journal and The Standpoint. Visit every Friday for his weekly CD review // Norman Lebrecht est un rédacteur prolifique couvrant les événements musicaux et Slipped Disc, est un des plus populaires sites de nouvelles culturelles. Il anime The Lebrecht Interview sur la BBC Radio 3 et collabore à plusieurs publications, dont The Wall Street Journal et The Standpoint. Vous pouvez lire ses critiques de disques chaque vendredi.

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  1. Pingback: If you were alive in Mozart’s time, would you try to write like him? – Slipped Disc

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