Mozart & Shostakovich: Cons For Pno & Strs& Pno [CD]

In this captivating album, pianist Saskia Giorgini explores the porous boundaries between chamber music and concerto, weaving a nuanced narrative that connects Mozart's lyrical elegance with Shostakovich's biting wit. Mozart's Piano Concerto in A Major, KV 414, originally conceived for both orchestra and string quartet, reveals it's intimate side in this chamber setting-it's melodic grace and quiet complexity enriched by subtle interplay. In contrast, Shostakovich's Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet, and Strings bursts with irony and theatrical flair, shifting from parody to poignancy in a flash. The album closes with Shostakovich's Piano Sonata No. 2, a work of stark introspection and formal ingenuity. Written in 1943 and dedicated to his late teacher Leonid Nikolayev, the Sonata carries a subtle, tragic undercurrent as it moves between baroque clarity, melancholic lyricism, and quietly defiant modernism-offering a deeply personal counterpoint to the extroverted brilliance of the concerto. Together, these works trace a lineage of innovation, where form, function, and emotion collide-delivering music that is as emotionally compelling as it is stylistically daring. A pianist of exceptional depth and imagination, Saskia Giorgini, brings her signature refinement to every phrase. Her acclaimed discography with PENTATONE includes Liszt's Harmonies poetiques et religieuses (Diapason d'or, 2021) and Consolations (Gramophone Critics' Choice 2023), both hailed for their poetic insight and technical brilliance. She has also collaborated with tenor Ian Bostridge on celebrated recordings of Schubert's Die schone Mullerin (2020), Respighi Songs (2021), and Twilight Schumann Songs (2025). This release also marks the PENTATONE debut of trumpeter Per Ivarsson, while the Trondheim Soloists return to the label following two previous recordings: Transfigured Night - Haydn/Schoenberg (2018) with Alisa Weilerstein, and Haydn & Stamitz (2020) with Ana de la Vega and Ramon Ortega Quero. With this new album, Giorgini once again confirms her status as one of today's most compelling and versatile pianists.