With a clear and shining piano part, a warm and richly detailed orchestral accompaniment, and an open and spacious sound, this 1992 recording of
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concertos K. 467 ("Elvira Madigan"), K. 37, and K. 503 by
Derek Han and the
Philharmonia Orchestra under
Paul Freeman certainly has many attractive features. Reissued numerous times over the years by Brilliant Classics, this album has stood the test of time, and its ready availability in box sets and as single budget CDs makes it a viable option when other, perhaps even preferable, recordings are hard to find.
Han's playing is polished and tasteful, and the
Philharmonia's performances are technically secure and expressively controlled, so the buyer can rest assured that these concertos are accurately and musically played. All that remains to the discerning listener is consideration of the depth of these interpretations, which must be weighed against performances of much greater repute. While it is true that
Han's recordings don't have the magic of the classic
Mozart recordings of
Artur Schnabel and
Géza Anda, or offer the brilliant insights of modern efforts by
Murray Perahia,
András Schiff, and
Mitsuko Uchida, they are earnest attempts to communicate the essence of
Mozart's music and succeed through clean articulation and honest expression of emotions that are never forced.