Mozart: The Piano Quartets

Chronique

Violinist Francesca Dego, violist Timothy Ridout, cellist Laura van der Heijden, and pianist Federico Colli are all up-and-comers who have gotten considerable press for their solo releases. One might, then, call this an all-star chamber recording and such things have not always worked out well; the essence of good chamber music performances is a deeply worked-out sense of ensemble and cooperation among the players. This release, however, is the exception, and the album made classical best-seller charts in the summer of 2023. The players had the benefit of performing these works together in concert for a time before the recording was made, and it shows; they sustain a sense of momentum in the long movements of these Mozart works that are more akin to his piano concertos than to his other chamber music, and the musicians give each other room to breathe without losing the line. Sample really anywhere, but the luminous opening bars of the Piano Quartet in E flat major, K. 493, makes a good place to start; the little rhythmic variances in Colli's line are picked up elegantly by the other players. Chandos helps out with highly detailed and idiomatic sound from Suffolk's Potton Hall. There is no word on whether this album is a one-off for the four musicians, but one hopes for a return engagement.
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