Piano Sonata No. 18 in D major, K. 576
Piano Sonata No. 13 in B-flat major, K. 333
Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major, K. 545
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K. 457

The very first statement in the booklet notes reads as follows: This album presents the music of Mozart as never before heard in the history of recording. Now that's as emphatically audacious a statement I've ever read. Does this performance and recording live up to it? I believe so.

According to these notes, a practice that died off during the early stages of the 20th century, was to insert improvised interludes between movements in order to lessen the abrupt key, tempo or mood change from one to the next, by adding a kind of modulating bridge in between to set the tone and in a way, offer the listener a preview of what came next. One would think this to be intrusive or distracting, when actually it binds everything together very well. A total of seven of these interludes are interspersed between various movements in this recording.

Above and beyond all this is the intuitive playing by Spanish pianist Josep Colom. Because Mozart's piano music is at times highly formulaic, it can sound a bit stiff and repetitive. Here on the other hand, Colom's naturally nuanced and flexible phrasing, along with fluid dynamics, add a level of vitality to the music rarely heard. His interpretations go beyond what's on the printed score and reveal the essence and spirit at play behind the notes. Clear and natural acoustics project a clean and present piano sound as well.