Although the precise date of this concerto's composition is uncertain, it is generally agreed that it was completed in 1779 in Salzburg, where Mozart had returned after an extended European concerto tour.
It was probably written for Mozart and his sister Nannerl to perform. She was, from all accounts, just as accomplished a pianist as her brother.
It is one of several works from this time, written to impress the notoriously autocratic Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg.
Our reviewer, Tony Ryan, said of this performance: "I couldn’t help feeling that Michael Houstoun came across as the current sort of elder statesman of New Zealand pianists, while Tony Chen Lin was the more rebellious newbie. This was evident in several ways; for example if Houstoun led with a phrase, its answer or repetition from Chen Lin tended to copy the phrasing and classical strictness; but when the order was reversed, Tony Chen Lin’s statement of a phrase might have a touch of individuality (some might call it Romantic phrasing or rubato), and then Michael Houstoun’s response tended to re-establish the classical ‘correctness’.
Mozart’s piano concertos are considered to be some of his finest compositions because of the sense of dialogue and drama between soloist and orchestra. This is even more the case with this double piano concerto because of the dialogue and argument between the two soloists. But the way they worked together in making a cohesive whole was also impressive. For example, a scale passage begun by one could be dovetailed into its continuation by the other with such a sense of delightful concord that, at times, I couldn’t help smiling. And this was especially the case in the last movement’s cadenza (presumably Mozart’s original – because he did write cadenzas for this concerto), where there was a sense of competitiveness as each player decorated a phrase with more complex figuration, with Chen Lin conveying a sense of the cheeky child and Houstoun calmly demonstrating that his maturity and experience could easily cope with the child’s challenges."
Benjamin Northey, Michael Houstoun & Tony Chen Lin at Christchurch Town Hall reopening concert Photo: Supplied by Tony Chen Lin
Recorded 2 March 2019, Town Hall, Christchurch by RNZ Concert
Sound engineer: Darryl Stack
