Mozart: HIP or Not?
Mozart, with a fresh pair of ears… Can historically informed performance (HIP) really add something to the way we hear Mozart? Most certainly! After all, Mozart never had the chance to hear a Steinway concert grand. The pianos of his day were smaller, lighter in sound and didn’t keep ringing on for minutes afterwards. And that changes quite a lot.
Take Olga Pashchenko, for example, playing a historical fortepiano. Everything sounds more transparent, individual notes have more personality and rapid passages sparkle with life. It’s almost as if you can hear Mozart delivering his musical lines: a question here, a cheeky aside there, and the occasional dramatic lift of an eyebrow.
The orchestra gains something too. Historical instruments create a different balance, allowing the piano to hold its own without having to battle a wall of strings. The wind instruments, meanwhile, have more room to shine. The result is less a contest between soloist and orchestra and more of a lively musical conversation.
But is this the only way to play Mozart? Thankfully not! A modern grand piano can make his melodies sing and his harmonies glow with warmth and depth. Historical performances are no time machines, nor do they offer a definitive version of the truth. That’s why we also hear a beautiful Mozart piano concerto performed on a modern grand by Murray Perahia. HIP or not? You decide!
Playlist
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
Olga Pashchenko (fortepiano), Il Gardellino - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Piano Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major, K. 238
Murray Perahia (piano), English Chamber Orchestra
