Evgeni Koroliov’s second all-Mozart recital disc (the first was for Hänssler Classics, Profil’s parent label) contains much to admire and respect. The pianist’s jewel-like symmetry, refinement of touch, and generally Apollonian demeanor recalls Walter Gieseking’s 1950s EMI Mozart cycle. You hear this in the E-flat sonata’s first two movements, distinguished by Koroliov’s astutely proportioned dynamics and varied articulations. However, you could imagine a quicker, more unbuttoned, and wittier Allegro Rondo finale than this pianist delivers.
The C minor sonata’s slow movement stands out for Koroliov’s beautifully contoured, chamber-like interaction between both hands. The outer movements are extremely well played, if not matching the thrust and dramatic contrasts we get from Andreas Haefliger’s leaner, more inflected interpretation (Sony Classical). And in comparison to Haefliger, Arrau, and Moravec, Koroliov underplays the Fantasia’s daring harmonic ideas.
Perhaps the studied, slightly rounded off quality I glean from Koroliov’s Menuetto and Turkish Rondo in the famous A major sonata stems from the pianist’s habit of telegraphing sudden soft passages with anticipatory diminuendos that give away the surprise. The sonics are decent enough, yet do not match the ambient warmth, detail, and tonal bloom that characterize Tacet’s Koroliov recordings.
