It is doubtless the poor sound quality that has kept this 1956 Italian radio broadcast by the great French pianist
Robert Casadesus off the market for so long; the hiss and the harsh edge may put off the casual listener. But they don't interfere with an appreciation of the unique style of one of the few true
Mozart specialists among the pianists of the twentieth century's middle third. The RAI Milan Symphony Orchestra stays out of
Casadesus' way in two well-loved
Mozart concertos, and the full range of the pianist's articulation and modes of attack come through. In
Mozart's slow movements, he had unparalleled grace and delicacy, while in the outer movements he could morph from ultra-smooth passagework to sharply delineated little runs (hear the one at the piano's entrance in the first movement of the Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K. 453) that bring to mind the ringing of an old rotary telephone. The change can often occur within a single phrase. One gets the impression that
Mozart would have loved the lively, constantly shifting, yet never flashy readings heard here, and they're strongly recommended for historical piano collections.