An album featuring three sonatas for four hands by W. A. Mozart, performed by Thomas Beijer and Nicolas van Poucke.
Thomas Beijer & Nicolas van Poucke
Mozart: Sonatas for four hands
About the album
Excerpt from the liner notes
Scene 1 Indian summer, late afternoon. The house of Pianist 2 in the medium- sized provincial town of H. Pianist 1 enters, grinning broadly as ever, with two large bags full of groceries; the gentlemen are both avid amateur cooks and have agreed to spend this evening together cooking, drinking good wine, smoking cigars and discussing the current state of the universe. Yes, some people discover the true pleasures of life at an early age! It is all the stranger that Pianist 2 puts on a rather grumpy face when he sees that his younger comrade, in addition to a stalk of celery, a net of onions, a bottle of excellent Barolo, a couple of jalapeños and a few other such things, has also fished a score out of one of the bags, which, to Pianist 2’s dismay, judging from its lying format, can only contain music for four hands.
Tracklist click to play/pause
- Sonata for piano four hands in B major, KV 358 I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 4:16
- Sonata for piano four hands in B major, KV 358 II. Adagio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 5:53
- Sonata for piano four hands in B major, KV 358 III. Molto presto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 3:08
- Sonata for piano four hands in F major, KV 497 I. Adagio - Allegro di molto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 9:16
- Sonata for piano four hands in F major, KV 497 II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 11:21
- Sonata for piano four hands in F major, KV 497 III. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 8:03
- Sonata for piano four hands in C major, KV 521 I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 9:22
- Sonata for piano four hands in C major, KV 521 II. Andante Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 7:28
- Sonata for piano four hands in C major, KV 521 III. Allegretto Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 7:31
More information
| Label | TRPTK |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | Classical – Classical (1750-1830) |
| Artist(s) | Nicolas van Poucke |
| Composer(s) | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus |
| Recording location(s) | Westvestkerk, Schiedam (NL) |
| Recording date(s) | December 2021 |
| Cat. No. | TTK 0086 |
|---|---|
| Release date |
October 14th, 2022 |
| Additional links |
"This is Mozart as we love him best. Not an elegant porcelain figure but a tough, bold eighteenth-century man with his eyes on the future through music that transcends formalities. It can be inferred from the two late sonatas but also from the early, energetically and fiercely performed Sonata in B-flat, KV 358. Which sounds like a divertimento that shuns superficiality and instead taps into deeper layers."
Maarten-Jan Dongelmans, De Gelderlander
"I can sense that Thomas Beijer and Nicolas van Poucke are long-time musical friends. Indeed, how much they are in accord about dynamics, modest rubati and tempi! [...] The recording is outstanding, as we have come to expect from TRPTK."
Thijs Bonger, Luister Magazine
"These two pianists have thus recognised the decisive criterion of this complex material and transformed it with playful nonchalance, aplomb and humour into crystal-clear and at the same time sensitive "human" communication. The high-resolution, hyper-transparent and at the same time warmly shining sound image further enhances the listening pleasure."
Attila Csampai, Rondo Magazin
"As a duo [...] they trust each other blindly, dare to approach the music without gloves, work closely together and manage to make it a sonic feast both glowing and subtle. [...] The recording quality pursued by the Dutch label TRPTK really needs no more introduction: I know of no recording bearing the stamp of this 'house' that does not make a profound impression, irrespective of whether in stereo or surround mode."
Aart van der Wal, Opus Klassiek
"A bold statement, but wouldn't the world be quite a bit better off if Mozart's music were listened to more? I think so. Just listen to both gentlemen on this fine release from TRTPK. Yet another brilliant recording made in the Westvest90 opposite Nolet's mill (sic) there in Schiedam, where Thomas Beijer and Nicolas van Poucke temporarily resided and glowingly devoted themselves to the piano gems of one Mr. Mozart."
Theo Wubbolts, Music Emotion
"The pleasure the pianists experienced in recording the material is conveyed in vibrant performances that sparkle with joy, energy, and life. While the pieces might make references to other Mozart works—van Poucke notes, for example, that allusions to Don Giovanni can be heard in the F major sonata—no one need look beyond the sonatas when their satisfactions are so plentiful. As per usual, part of the pleasure derived from listening to the recording has to do with the pristine clarity of the production, a distinguishing characteristic of TRPTK releases in general."
Ron Schepper, Textura
