Gramophone Review: Mozart Piano Sonatas Vol. 2 & 3

November 23, 2022
By Jed Distler

The following is an excerpt. To read the full review, visit Gramophone.co.uk

The stylish intelligence and pianistic refinement distinguishing the first volume in Orli Shaham’s Mozart piano sonata cycle (released in 2020) continues into Vols 2 and 3. She rightly brings out the operatic subtext of the A minor Sonata, K310, probing the Allegro maestoso’s gnawing dissonances and generating tension through dynamic understatement in the Presto finale. Her beautifully sung-out Andante cantabile manages to be expansive and flexible without losing shape or continuity. In the opening Allegro of the F major Sonata, K332, Shaham gives distinct character and breathing room to each theme, and astutely brings out the composer’s cross-rhythmic phrase groupings. The Allegro assai’s vertiginous runs truly scintillate yet never lapse into square regularity; sophisticated accent placement and subtle elongations keep the listener guessing, so to speak.