What a great coupling! Two Mozart Concertos for multiple keyboards, plus the Poulenc. A match made in heaven.
The same could be said fo the performers, a true family team (Kent Nagano, his wife, and their daughters). Inspired by the Casadesus family’s performances, this is the stuff of dreams. For the avoidance of confusion, the connections are Mari Kodama is Nagano’s wife, Momo is Mari’s sister, and Karin is Kent Nagano and Mari Kodama’s daughter.
Here’s Mari Kodama, introducing the disc:
The performances have real spirit. You might recall that we have tackled K 242 twice before, both as part of the Robert Levin/Academy of Ancient Music cycle (one with the version for three pianos, the other the version of K 242 for two pianos)
Nagano conducts a modern orchestra, yet encourages light textures and playing to match the pinpoint accuracy of articulation from Karin Kei Nagano (piano 1), Mari Kodama (piano 2), and Momo Kodama (piano 3). Listen to their first movement, the exchanges and handover between pianos almost telepathic in execution:
Here, by the way, is the Casadesus’ performance of the first movment (Robert, Gaby and Jeanne), with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy – a rather nice reproduction of the CBS LP sleeve graces the video:
Interestingly, Nagano is quicker than Levin in the slow movement. Just by a few seconds, but it sounds like more. And there are moments of pure loveliness from the lady soloists. The cadenza here is near-miraculous. The pianos’ tones are light, although identifiably for a modern instrument, allowing for maximal transparency:
Nagano seems to find just the right tempo for the finale, and just listen to the woodwind/string balancing. It’s perfect:
The Concert for Two Pianos and Orchestra, K 365 features Momo and Mari Kodama, two pianists in perfect accord. Listen to the first dual trill that announces their presence less than two minutes in. What is interesting is that the orchestral exposition is itself a masterclass in conducing from Nagano, the orchestra completely under his control. This might not be 100% authentic (what is?) u I is 100% convincing Mozart:
Kent Nagano takes the Andante more as an Adagio. There is much to enjoy, for sure, and he keeps the orchestral contribution flowing and light, and there are some ovlely decorations of line from the ladies:
The finale scampers as it should. Around 1″10 I just wonder whether those left-hand chords should be quite so assertive:
Here’s Levin in K 365 for a more authentic experience. I find the two nicely complementary, Nagano provides as convincing a case for modern instrument as any in this concerto, though, and the piano playing is a model of decorum and accuracy.
The inclusion of the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D-Minor, FP61. There is major competition here, not least from the composer himself (with Jacques Février and the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra under Georges Prêtre), plus of course the inevitable Labèque sisters. Another Prétre, with Gabriel Tacchino and Bernard Ringeissen, is also recommendable.
The performance here obviously takes us to a completely different space than Mozart. This is a vey fine performance, but is it zany enough? Possibly not, but few if any performances capture the beauty in the first movement this well:
The theme of the slow movement is both impeccable French and impeccably Poulenc, with that little harmonic twist held within. Kent Nagano turns the harmonic screw nicely with the orchestra’s entrance. This is a delight:
The finale revels in repeated notes and helter-skelter passage work. This performance celebrates its unpredictability well, its close an almost-raspberry:
Here’s that performance with the composer (the orchestra is the ORTF):
This Pentatone disc is available at Amazon here.
