Boulez and Mozart: Closer than we thought
mainPierre Boulez once told me that Mozart was ‘trivial’ and he would never waste his time conducting such music. At the New York Philharmonic, he added, he persuaded them to substitute Haydn for Mozart. This was in 1985.
Now, a diligent Slipped Disc reader has come up with the facts, which are not quite as Pierre remembered them.
Boulez conducted these works by Mozart with the NY Phil (source: NY Phil digital archives), in all, 33 performances of Mozart:
ADAGIO AND FUGUE, STRING QUARTET, C MIN, K.546 (QUART./STR. ORCH.) (5)
CONCERTO, CLARINET, A MAJOR, K.622 (1)
CONCERTO, FLUTE AND HARP IN C, K.297C (OLD K.299) (1)
CONCERTO, FLUTE NO. 1, G MAJOR, K.285C (OLD K.313) (1)
CONCERTO, HORN NO. 2, E-FLAT MAJOR, K.417 (2)
CONCERTO, PIANO NO. 09, E-FLAT MAJOR, K.271 (JEUNEHOMME) (2)
CONCERTO, PIANO NO. 10, E-FLAT MAJOR, K.316A (OLD K.365) (2 PIANOS) (1)
CONCERTO, PIANO NO. 15, B-FLAT MAJOR, K.450 (1)
CONCERTO, PIANO NO. 19, F MAJOR, K.459 (1)
CONCERTO, PIANO NO. 20, D MINOR, K.466 (1)
CONCERTO, PIANO NO. 24, C MINOR, K.491 (1)
CONCERTO, PIANO NO. 27, B-FLAT MAJOR, K.595 (2)
CONCERTO, VIOLIN NO. 3, G MAJOR, K.216 (2)
CONCERTO, VIOLIN NO. 5, A MAJOR, K.219 (1)
COSÌ FAN TUTTE (OVERTURE), K.588 (1)
MAGIC FLUTE, THE (OVERTURE), K.620 (1)
QUARTET, STRINGS, NO. 23, F MAJOR, K.590 (1)
RONDO, PIANO, D MAJOR, K.382 (1)
SERENADE NO. 9, D MAJOR, K.320, “POSTHORN” (2)
SERENADE NO. 12, C MINOR, K.384A (OLD K.388) (1)
SINFONIA CONCERTANTE, VLN/VLA, E-FLAT MAJOR, K.320D (K.364) (1)
SYMPHONY NO. 36, C MAJOR, K.425, “LINZ” (2)
SYMPHONY NO. 39, E-FLAT MAJOR, K.543 (1)
SYMPHONY NO. 40, G MINOR, K.550 (1)
VORREI SPIEGARVI OH DIO, K.418 (1)
Also, According to the Proms archive, he conducted several Mozart concertos. There is a live recording of the coronation concerto with Clifford Curzon:
He recorded some early Mozart concertos with The Domaine Musicale and Yvonne Loriod who was making a complete cycle.
Finally, who could forget this remarkable performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 with Maria Joao Pires and the Berlin Phil?
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