This must surely be the most appealing of all versions of the delectable K488 Concerto on CD. Roger Norrington brings both sensibility and verve to the opening tutti, releasing energy and momentum at exactly the right moment; and when Melvyn Tan enters, the piano sounds a delicate voice, no equal contestant with the orchestra (as anyone on a modern grand is bound to be) but gentle and solitary. And this is reflected, indeed implicit, in the balance of the recording, which true to the instruments of Mozart's time lets the orchestra be the dominant force, stepping aside and subduing itself for the piano. Norrington's accompaniments are full of shapely touches of detail and timing, to match the poised pianism of Tan, whose softening of cadences and moulding of phrases and short sections is happily sensitive. It is not a big, symphonic performance, this, but nevertheless a very attractive one, enhanced by the translucency of the orchestral textures. In the Adagio Tan strikes what, by current standards, may seem a quickish tempo; the performance is fluent and fragrant rather than inward or sombre, and full of graceful touches which are enhanced by his occasional ornamental additions. Listeners may feel there could be more to the movement, but this is certainly a valid and highly musical way of presenting it. The finale, with splendidly crisp orchestral playing, has a lot of neatly pointed detail and no shortage of exuberance.
The A major Concerto is certainly one well suited to Tan's light, lyrical and shapely playing. Less so, perhaps, the big D minor work, which I do feel may profit from a strong formal grasp and a more purposeful approach. Not that this is in any sense a cool or over-sensitized reading; it is clear, perhaps especially in the central Romance—where Tan plays quite sturdily (listen to the prominent left hand accompaniments) rather than concentrating on inflecting the much-recurring main theme—that he is treating the work as something more substantial; and indeed I am glad he does not adopt here too perfumed an approach to that theme. In the outer movements there is ample fire in Norrington's orchestra, and Tan plays with energy and life as well as with his usual refinement of detail. He composed the cadenzas himself; the first in particular is successful, and certainly a marked improvement on Beethoven's (the one we hear most often). In short, then, this record—on which the orchestral reproduction and overall balance are about as good as I can ever recall hearing in a Mozart piano concerto—offers a truly lovely account of the A major work and a very acceptable one of the D minor, not perhaps the last word... but then, who is ever going to say the last word about Mozart?'