Mozart: Piano Quartets

Album review

From very early on, Mozart was aware of the possibilities of an ensemble situated halfway between concerto and chamber music. Indeed, it was Mozart who paved the way for the piano quartet in 1785 and 1786 with the two masterpieces that are presented here. Such an instrumental ensemble was unknown before this, but from that point onwards it would live on throughout the 19th century through the key works of Schumann and Brahms, then of Dvořák and several other famous musicians. The Quintet in G minor, K. 478, is bold right from the opening few bars, in a passionate key that Mozart used in famous works such as Symphonies Nos. 25 and 40 as well as his fabulous String Quintet, K. 516 from 1787. The powerful first movement, the lyricism of his Andante and his joyful final Rondo in G major have captivated chamber musicians from around the world for centuries. Its counterpart, the Quarter in E-flat major, K. 493, displays the carefree nature of youth but still shows a sense of maturity with darkness and nostalgia.

Recorded in May 2019 in Drogheda in the Republic of Ireland, this album offers an outstanding interpretation of Mozart’s work by four exceptional musicians from very different backgrounds. Pianist Finghin Collins, originally from Dublin, studied both at the Royal Irish Academy of Ireland and with Dominique Merlet at the Geneva Conservatory. Violinist Rosanne Philippens is renowned for her talent as a performer (her version of Vivaldi-Piazzolla’s Four Seasons was a complete sensation in Lyon) and is an extraordinary communicator. Former solo viola of the Berlin Philharmonic, Hungarian Máté Szücs plays and teaches masterclasses all over the world and is now a professor at the Geneva University of Music. Last but not least, cellist István Várdai is the winner of the prestigious ARD Competition in Munich as well as the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. In addition to his career as a chamber musician and soloist, he has now taken over Heinrich Schiff’s cello class at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. © François Hudry/Qobuz