German pianist
Christoph Eschenbach had already recorded a first-class set of
Mozart's piano sonatas in 1971 for Deutsche Grammophon when he turned to the same composer's piano concertos in 1977 for EMI. But while there's no disputing
Eschenbach's still impressive virtuosity, his approach to
Mozart is markedly different. His tone here is full and rich with plenty of shoulder and back muscles; his lines are sustained with more pedal and more shading; and his tempos are measured with more emphasis on the downbeat and the bar line. In a phrase, where
Eschenbach's sonatas had been light and effervescent, his concertos are weighty and sumptuous. For some this change in approach may be appropriate to the change in repertoire. For others, this approach may simply be inappropriate for the composer.
But however one feels about
Eschenbach's piano playing, for many if not most listeners, his orchestral directing will elicit one common reaction: disbelief. The
London Philharmonic is a skilled professional orchestra and their ability to play together is unquestioned, but as a neophyte director
Eschenbach appears over his head and sinking fast. To be specific, the tone is thick, the phrasing is soupy, the tempos are turgid, the downbeats are fat, the bar lines are leaden, and the pace is glacial. The
LPO does what it can under the circumstances, but the burden is too heavy to carry. EMI's late stereo sound is deep but fuzzy.