The Piano Concertos

In Mozart’s time, the modern pianoforte was not yet fully developed, and its precursor, the fortepiano, was the instrument most widely used for large-scale concert music. A growing interest in historically-informed performance over the past few decades has led to several comprehensive recordings of Mozart’s piano concertos using period instruments, including the fortepiano, and this one featuring Malcolm Bilson is among the best of those. The softer and less dramatic tone of the fortepiano lends itself to a more balanced dynamic in its interactions with the English Baroque Soloists orchestra, and conductor John Eliot Gardiner elicits outstanding performances on the part of all involved. The recording quality is excellent as well.