Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Minore – Piano Concertos No. 20 & 24, Adagio K. 540

In a minor mood: See Siang Wong combines the D minor and the C minor piano concerto by Mozart, complemented by the B minor Adagio for piano solo.

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung described Swiss pianist See Siang Wong as a “subtle painter of sound.” For his atmospheric album “Minore – Piano Concertos No. 20 & No. 24, Adagio K. 540” he has chosen very special works by Mozart. They were the only works composed in minor keys, thus differing greatly from Mozart’s major works and shaping the album’s intense character.

See Siang Wong says about it: “Mozart’s minor works are touching in their depth and individuality. It seems that here Mozart went into himself even more than usual when composing.” Wong recorded the album with the Südwestdeutschephilharmonie Konstanz under the direction of conductor Philipp von Steinaecker.

The Piano Concerto No. 20 KV. 466, as one of the first symphonic piano concertos, occupies a particularly high place in W. A. Mozart’s (1756-1791) oeuvre. In addition to the large-scale orchestra, the almost vocal piano part is in the foreground. It was premiered with great success in Vienna in 1785, just one day after its completion, with Mozart himself taking the solo part. In the following year, Mozart wrote the Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491, parallel to the “Marriage of Figaro,” musically in stark contrast to it. It was already highly praised at the time of its composition.

Beethoven, for example, is reported to have said of it, “Be quiet, listen to what Mozart accomplishes here, it’s genius, this Piano Concerto in C minor, extraordinarily simple.” The album concludes with the atmospheric Adagio No. 540, a solo piece for piano and particularly poignant with its tritone intervals and pulsating heartbeats of sixteenth notes.