András Schiff in Salzburg: From Bach's Counterpoint to Mozart's Melancholy

Sir András Schiff captivated audiences at the Salzburg Festival with a meticulously curated program that explored the intricate relationship between Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Performing on a Bösendorfer grand piano, Schiff guided the listeners through a selection of works, offering insightful commentary in both German and English, a practice that prompts reflection on audience engagement and preparation.

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He presented and commented on his selections in German and English, as knowledgeable and amusing as ever.

The concert opened with two ricercares from Bach's "Musical Offering," setting the stage for a deep dive into contrapuntal mastery. Schiff then transitioned to Mozart's Fantasy in C minor, K. 475, drawing parallels between the works, as both are rooted in the same thematic material that Mozart revisited in his Piano Concerto in C minor, K. 491. Schiff's performance of Bach's French Suite No. 5, BWV 816, was particularly lauded, reaffirming his reputation as a preeminent interpreter of Bach's keyboard works.

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It is precisely that piano work in which Mozart's admiration for Bach's counterpoint is most clearly evident.

Following the interval, the program shifted to Bach's Prelude and Fugue in B minor from the "Well-Tempered Clavier," Book 1. This served as a prelude to Mozart's profound Adagio in B minor, K. 540, a piece whose melancholic mood Schiff conveyed with exceptional depth and spiritual intensity. He followed this with the two movements of the Sonata in F major, K. 533, delivering them with remarkable clarity and subtlety. Notably, Schiff omitted the commonly appended Rondo, K. 494, explaining that it did not meet the same artistic standard.

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With unparalleled transparency and subtlety, he then served the two movements of the F major Sonata K. 533.

The recital officially concluded with Mozart's C minor Sonata, K. 475, bringing the program full circle. The enthusiastic audience's prolonged applause earned them several encores, including Mozart's Rondo in A minor, K. 511, and a surprise rendition of Chopin's Waltz in A minor, Op. 34, No. 2, further cementing the evening's success.

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He explained that it is not on the same level. Therefore, he is reluctant to play it, not just in this context.