Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos 20 & 26, "Coronation"

Friedrich Gulda had a special relationship with Munich, whether playing classical fare in the Gasteig or jazz in the city’s clubs, and there’s appealing affection to these two performances. Recorded in 1986, with the pianist also directing the Munich Philharmonic, this collection offers two favorite concertos: the dark-hued D Minor and the more extroverted “Coronation.” The largish orchestra provides a vivid backdrop to Gulda’s wonderfully engaging way with this music—he was always an imaginative Mozartian—and he plays with an intimacy that feels like a conversation with the audience, while the fast movements have a dazzling sparkle.