Pianist
Ben Kim
was a student of
Leon Fleisher
and
Martha Argerich
, and his precise, elegant style brings to mind the former and especially what might have happened had he been affected by the historical performance movement.
Kim
plays a modern piano in his series of
Mozart
piano concertos, but he has stated the aim of making it sound like a fortepiano, with clear articulation and little dynamic variation or pedal. He also conducts the 35-member
Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra
from the keyboard. It all works quite well in this release, devoted to
's first three Vienna concertos, works that helped make
's reputation, and that shows the composer exploring the capabilities of the then relatively new fortepiano.
is a naturally sympathetic
player, alert to the small turns of melody that make his music so entrancing. If there is a weakness here, it is the slow movements, which hint at the depths to come in a way that
's straightforward lines do not quite catch. Listeners' mileage may vary here; everything in his readings is impressively consistent. Another plus is
Challenge Classics
' beautifully clear studio sound from Hilversum, picking up small details of
's articulation. An especially strong entry in
's series. ~ James Manheim