Pires continues her Mozart sonata cycle for DG with two of the composer's first set of six written in the first place for himself to play on youthful tours. These she follows with the considerably later F major work which in fact only grew into a threemovement sonata in 1788, having begun life two years earlier as an independent rondo (now the finale). As piano playing pure and simple the disc is a delight for her variety of touch and her tonal range within a translucent, eighteenth-century sound-world. But what I enjoyed most was her imaginative vitality. Following with the score you quickly realize that she could scarcely be more scrupulous in her observance of every prescribed dot, dash, slur and dynamic gradation. Yet everything comes up with a radiant freshness as if she were exploring this music for the very first time.
The Andante amoroso of the B flat and the Adagio of the E flat sonatas are very beautifully sung, their intimately personal inflexions never over-romanticized. In the F major work she allows herself a lively tempo for the opening Allegro while never for a moment allowing you to overlook its contrapuntal cunning. Though meticulous in observance of repeats throughout (and so often able to shed new light when doing so) she very wisely, I think, does not repeat the chromatically searing second half of this work's laden Andante, played with a grave intensity. For the finale she finds a disarming simplicity. The reproduction of the piano is excellent throughout.'