Mozart: Minore - Piano Concertos No. 20 & 24, Adagio K. 540 See Siang Wong & Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz & Philipp von Steinaecker

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466:
• 1Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466: I. Allegro (Cadenza by Johann Nepomuk Hummel)14:49
• 2Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466: II. Romance (Elaboration by See Siang Wong)09:02
• 3Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466: III. Rondo. Allegro assai (Cadenza by Johann Nepomuk Hummel)08:27
• 4Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491: I. Allegro (Cadenza by Philipp Karl Hofmann)15:39
• 5Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491: II. Larghetto (Elaboration & Cadenza by Philipp Karl Hofmann)07:47
• 6Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491: III. Allegretto (Cadenza by Philipp Karl Hofmann)09:08
• Adagio in B Minor, K. 540:
• 7Mozart: Adagio in B Minor, K. 54010:50
• Total Runtime01:15:42

Info for Mozart: Minore - Piano Concertos No. 20 & 24, Adagio K. 540

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung described the Swiss pianist See Siang Wong as a "subtle sound painter". For his atmospheric album "Minore - Piano Concertos No. 20 & No. 24, Adagio K. 540" he has chosen very special works by Mozart. They are the only works composed in minor keys, thus differing greatly from Mozart's major works and shaping the intense character of the album. See Siang Wong says of them, "Mozart's minor works are touching in their depth and individuality. It seems that here Mozart went into himself even more than usual while composing." Wong recorded the album with the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz under the direction of conductor Philipp von Steinaecker. As one of the first symphonic piano concertos, Piano Concerto No. 20, K. 466, occupies a particularly high place in W. A. Mozart's (1756-1791) oeuvre. In addition to the large-scale orchestra, the almost vocal piano part is in the foreground. It was premiered with great success in Vienna in 1785, just one day after its completion, with Mozart himself taking the solo part. In the following year, Mozart wrote the Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491, parallel to the "Marriage of Figaro," musically in stark contrast to it. It was already highly praised at the time of its composition. Beethoven, for example, is said to have said of it, "Be quiet, listen to what Mozart accomplishes here, it's brilliant, this piano concerto in C minor, extraordinarily simple." The album concludes with the atmospheric Adagio No. 540, a solo piece for piano and particularly poignant with its tritone intervals and pulsating heartbeat of sixteenth notes.

See Siang Wong, piano
Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz
Philipp von Steinaecker, conductor

See Siang Wong
The Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung described the Dutch-born pianist See Siang Wong as a “subtle painter of sound“, who has made a name for himself with his musical interpretations. He has been awarded numerous prizes and quickly advanced to become an internationally sought soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist.

See Siang Wong studied with Marjès Benoist in the Netherlands as well with Homero Francesch and Bruno Canino in Switzerland. He made his debut at the young age of 12 with the Dutch Radio Orchestra. He has since performed in numerous renowned venues in over 30 countries throughout Europe, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Australia, including Tonhalle Zurich, KKL Lucerne, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, St. Martin in the Fields London, Salle Olivier Messiaen Paris, Bertramka Prague, Marble Hall Budapest, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall. He also makes regular guest appearances at leading international music festivals. Among the highlights of his artistic career have been concerts with renowned conductors, such as Pierre Boulez, Ralf Weikert, and Howard Griffths. Many radio and television stations have recorded See Siang Wong’s performances. His extensive discography includes among others piano works and concertos by Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, Haydn, Messiaen, Mozart, Schubert, and Schumann. Many of his recordings received high accolade and were awarded by music critics. Swiss Radio music reviewers selected his interpretation of Schumann’s Piano Concerto as their favourite recording in a blind comparison of recordings by Martha Argerich, Yevgeni Kissin, Dinu Lipatti, and Andreas Staier. In 2012 his Schubert album (RCA Red Seal) was the winner of the prestigious “Golden Label Award” of the Belgian music critics.

His great interest in contemporary music has led to collaborations with leading composers such as Emmanuel Nunes, Marco Stroppa, James Dillon, and Rudolf Kelterborn. He initiated the project “Swiss Piano”, which promotes the creation of new piano compositions; many famous Swiss contemporary composers have already contributed to this continuing project, which currently consists of 30 new piano pieces.

See Siang Wong has taught at the Zurich University of the Arts since 2002. From 2006– 2008 he was a guest professor at the University of Arts Lucerne. He holds master-classes in Switzerland and abroad, and is among the exclusive circle of Steinway & Sons Artists.

Booklet for Mozart: Minore - Piano Concertos No. 20 & 24, Adagio K. 540