Joseph Wölfl Piano Concertos Go a Step Beyond Mozart

Joseph Wölfl was one of the many talented composer/pianists competing for the public's attention in early 1800s Vienna. He seemed to had held his own in a piano play-off with Beethoven. And his music had many supporters.

No wonder. Wölfl studied composition with Michael Haydn and Leopold Mozart, learning the essence of the classical style. He visited Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he moved to Vienna in 1790, and possibly took lessons from him as well. 

Wölfl's music, as evidenced in these three concertos has the classical balance of Mozart and Haydn. This is elegant, tuneful music. The themes are well-formed and masterfully developed. 

As a pianist, Wölfl was a towering figure -- literally. He was over six feet tall. And his hands had an enormous reach. Most piano music of the day seldom required the player's hand to stretch more than an octave (eight notes). Wölfl's could stretch thirteen.

It allowed him to play the music that was simply impossible for most performers, and he used that to his advantage.

This album features three of Wölfl's six piano concertos. Concertos were originally written by Wölfl for his own concert performances. The texture may have a Mozartian lightness, but the technical challenges are Liztian in complexity. 

Natasa Veljikovec performs wonderfully. She plays with crystalline accuracy and expressive delivery. The Sudwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim directed by Johannes Moesus performs to their usual high standards. 

If you enjoy Mozart and Haydn concertos, check out Wölfl's. After all, he learned from the best. 

Joseph Wölfl: Three Piano Concertos
Natasa Veljikovec, piano
Sudwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim; Johannes Moesus, conductor
CPO