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Lately I have just been so in love with Mozart's Piano Concertos. I have listened to just about every one, except mostly the 26th. I've always been reluctant to listen to the 25th one but after watching a performance with Rudolph Buchbinder playing this concerto I have been hooked on it. Anyway it's not just the simple little melodies I've come to love about these concertos, it's the structure. I truly love classical music but only lately have I focused on structure, like Sonata form and it's great to see how much he matured in his concertos from his 5th one all the way up and through his mature ones while in Vienna. Anyway I'm just simply wondering everyone else's opinion on this magnificent set of music. I mean with a mixture of Symphony, piano sonata, opera and maybe even chamber music (chamber music with each instrument unique in it's own way, Mozart's concertos with the piano, strings and woodwinds as three powerful and individual forces) you can basically get anything you're craving from these compositions.

The G Major concerto has got to be one, if not my favorite of the concertos as each of the 3 movements are equal in weight and who can resist the charming quality of the 3rd movement. Also, as I said earlier, the 25th concerto is just very powerful and even me as a consistent Mozart listener found it unpredictable and just exciting in every note. But anyway what does anyone else think?

I love the Mozart piano concertos too.

I have to admit they are practically the only pieces that I can listen to for days and not get tired of.

My favourites

Piano Concerto in A major K488
Piano Concerto in E flat major 3rd movement K447
Piano Concerto in C K 467
Piano Concerto in D K537 (the best in my opinion)

It's great that you are taking an interest in the 25th concerto, since it is the least often performed of the late works (20th onwards) -- probably because it is less "tuney" than, say, the 21st. It just happens to be my favorite Mozart piano concerto. The 17th is also one of my favorites. Leonard Bernstein recorded it (as well as the 25th) and had a special fondness for it, as well as including it in one of his broadcasts. I find the slow movement especially moving, with its shades of melancholy.

There are so many wonderful Mozart piano concerti. Next to opera, it is the genre on which Mozart left his most individual mark. Among my other favorites:

No. 5 in D major -- has a wonderful finale.
No. 12 in A major -- has another especially moving slow movement, often heard as a memorial to J.C. Bach, who Mozart knew.
No. 13 in C major -- energetic first movement, another beautiful slow movement, and a stately finale.
No. 16 in D major -- an energetic and brilliant work from start to finish, and sadly perhaps Mozart's least performed mature concerto.
No. 19 in F major -- a bubbly, high-spirited work, especially the madcap finale (this work is in my repertoire).
No. 23 in Eb major -- another especially moving slow movement.
No. 24 in C minor -- Mozart's tragic masterpiece in the genre.
No. 27 in Bb major -- a fascinating blend of poetry, serenity, and melancholy.

i remember reading that the 1st 4 or 5 piano concerti actually are not Mozart's original composition but some sort of arrangements of others' work. so, maybe his 5th or 6th piano concerto is actually his own 1st one.

i always like no. 20 and 24.

Well, what are called piano concertos 1-4 are all based on movements (often from piano sonatas) by other composers -- what were called "pastiches" back then. They're not straightforward arrangements -- Mozart made several changes that show his own musical invention. Piano concerto no. 5 is the first wholly original work.

Besides the first numbered concertos, there are three which are arrangements of sonatas from J. C. Bach's op. 5. I have been looking through both the original sonatas and the concertos, which is an interesting exercise. Actually, arranging a sonata as a concerto is probably a good way to learn arranging, and I suppose these were composition and orchestration exercises for the young Mozart. It would probably be a good exercise for today's students as well.

Yeah his 16th one does seem to be the less popular of his concertos, though when I listen to it I would try to say it was a pretty experimental piece, a lot of sections for the woodwinds that were not in the previous concertos and couple of melodies that seemed to be pretty irregular to me too. I have not listened to the middle movement but I do think it is a great piece. But for you guys that have a good experience on the concertos what are some good recordings? I basically have this box set of about 40 CDs on Mozart's works and of course the recordings are not top notch, so I'm wondering what better quality recordings are there. Considering the hefty price on CDs I was hoping to get some opinions on good performers of the series.

The 16th concerto was actually featured (sort of) in that horrible Richard Dreyfuss movie, "The Competition." The female lead chose to play it in the finals, but, strangely enough, the piano had a seriously out of tune note. She fell apart in tears, stalked off the stage. They changed pianos, she changed concertos and play Prokofiev, and, here's a surprise, won. Of course, anything was better than watching Dreyfuss pretend to play the Emperor Concerto.

I like this Mozart concerto. It's not particularly easy. It's pretty busy, so the charm is somewhat limited. But it's fun to play.

Lots of good sets of concertos out there. I like the Perahia and the Ashkenazy. If you're interested in original instruments, try to find the Malcolm Bilson recordings. He's really quite good.

No. 24 is always a favorite of mine. Very dramatic.

I love mozart's piano concertos and consider them one of the essential cycles that shaped musical form, the way bach did for the fugue and beethoven did for the sonata.

Basically, 9 and at least from 13 onwards are very much worth listening to. Personal faves of mine incliude 15, 16, 19 and 24 but they all have their special moments. The middle movements of 9, 17, 18, 22 and 23 really stand out and 21 is probably among the most flashy. I find something to like about every one and never tire of them.

The only this is, I hate when they are played in too 'refined' a manner. It comes off very emotionally tame that way whereas the music is very powerful. Another pet peeve of mine is andantes played too slowly.

Oops, forgot to mention the 27, which is excellent. It's one of those bitter-sweet major key pieces. The end of the finale feels like an extended good-bye/farewell and its certainly appropriate.

I love all of them. They're gorgeous. No. 23 A major KV488 has a two piano version, which has been reviewed as being ho=hum because it sounds too repetitive. I was wondering if anyone has heard it performed or played that way and what they thought.

The 25th (K503) has only so far been mentioned in the initial post, yet I think it the absolute pinnacle of Mozart's genius.

But like the Beethoven sonatas, there is no Mozart piano concerto that I do not love. What a treasure trove he has given us, and so much to be grateful for.

As for recordings of the complete cycle, I tend to favour Brendel's with Marriner conducting, part of the Philips Mozart edition, and I believe available now at mid or budget price. In the past few years Brendel has re-recorded some of them with Mackerras -- their recording of the 20th and 24th is my favorite for those two works. As for period instruments, the Bilson/Gardiner cycle is good too (and also available at mid/budget price), but the fortepiano tone is not captured in its full range. Andreas Staier with the Concerto Koln have recorded a few of the concerti, and the fortepiano tone is captured to much better advantage there (I own their wonderful recording of the 9th and 17th concerti, which is my favorite for both works, but they've also done the 18th and 19th). Levin/Hogwood have recorded most (if not all) of the concerti -- the recordings I've heard from that cycle (such as the 5th, even if it's with the later and inferior finale, and the 16th) are pretty damn good, perhaps better than Bilson/Gardiner as far as period instruments go (though not quite on the level as Staier).
Some other personal favorite recordings of particular works:
13th: Bilson/Gardiner (part of the cycle mentioned above)
12th and 16th: Brendel/Marriner (part of the cycle mentioned above, and theirs is the ONLY recording that does full justice to the wonderful 16th)
19th: Barenboim/Berlin Philharmonic (not to be confused with Barenboim's earlier cycle on EMI, which is fairly stodgy IMHO)
22nd and 23rd: Uchida/Tate
24th and 25th: Moravec/Marriner
27th: Goode/Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

P.S.: argerichfan, didn't I mention that the 25th "just happens to be my favorite Mozart piano concerto" in my first post above?

Oops, you did. Proves you are a most discerning musician.

Hey, you know what they say about great minds.
Sorry. With all sincerity, you deserve that label more than I.

Back to the 16th concerto, I think its rather Haydenesque/proto-Beethoven lines and straightforward harmonies (with less telling use of non-chord tones such as suspensions and appogiaturas that carry so much expressive weight in mature Mozart) make it seem rather odd in the context of the cycle, as well as its less "tuney" nature. However, the rapid-fire exchanges between piano and orchestra, as well as some of the gestures that anticipate some things the romantic age would do to the piano concerto, make it very appealing to me. It is a big, festive, brilliant work that still has those shades of melancholy that seem to haunt much of Mozart's work.

I LOVE MOZART'S PIANO CONCERTOS TOO!!!
YES!! FINALLY found a group of people who also love mozart's piano concertos!!!!

my favorites are piano concerto no 20 in d minor, and piano concerto no 21 in C major.

im not sure about u guys, but sometimes, SOMETIMES, when i listen to mozart's piano concertos, for like, a few seconds, i suddenly feel as if i can see the "dark side" of mozart.
its kinda creepy...=D

A late post on this thread. I, like others, really like no. 25 in C major. I think it looks ahead to Beethoven in many ways.

I've heard it live once. Murray Perahia with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Philadelphia. I was there on business and sprang for a ticket. It was magnificent.

I also saw a professional at his calmest. About 30 seconds from the end of the big tutti that starts the work, Perahia gave the Steinway a little push. It must have rolled a foot! I guess he always does this to check. He calmly pulled the piano back to him, leaned down and tightened the big brass wingnut on one of the legs, and was completely ready for his entrance around 10 seconds later.

I am playing the entire 21st in studio class on monday, including a cadenza I wrote myself for it. I still have to find someone to accompany me....