Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 14
Piano Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 25

Great news for all of you out there who hold Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in high esteem and have always situated him on the loftiest of all classical music altars, but lament the fact that since all of his music has already been performed and recorded ad nauseam, there's nothing new to hear or discover. The music of one of his sons, Franz Xaver Mozart (1791-1844), may very well be the panacea you're longing for. Compared to his father, the number of available recordings of his highly inventive music is rather abysmal. Odd when you consider all the scrutiny and fuss over his father's music, that his own music didn't at least warrant more interest from a musicological perspective. He was just over four months old when his father died and was also known as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Jr. in unofficial circles. He obtained solid musical training from Albrechtsberger, Hummel and Salieri, and went on to become a respected music teacher himself as well as a concert pianist.

In the booklet notes pianist Andriy Dragan writes: "Already at an early stage in my career as a pianist, I felt a special connection to the compositions of Franz Xaver Mozart. It was his 1st Piano Concerto that I performed during my first orchestral performance abroad at the age of 13, that took place in Switzerland. His music stirred my soul and still inspires me today. With the expansion of this Franz Xaver Mozart project, I hope his music will step out of his father’s shadow, the great master Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and be recognised accordingly. I am convinced that his legacy has not yet been fully explored, which motivates me to continue my research ..."

Despite still exhibiting his father's traits and projecting the "Mozart" style and sound, I had pointed out previously in a review of his Variations that his "innovative touches including bold contrasts, harmonic diversity, counterpoint and technically challenging passages all corroborate the fact that his music stands on its own merits." You can hear exactly what I mean within the audio clip below which features the bold ending of the E-flat major's first movement, which seems to mirror Beethoven's scope, and point towards Schumann and Chopin in its extroverted bravura, all played with fearless abandon by Andriy Dragan.

Both inner slow movements are the embodiment of grace and Viennese finesse. The Adagio from the C major in particular expressing an air of assured calm and stoic resolve. "These two piano concertos rank among F. X. Mozart's most outstanding artistic achievements" {Booklet Notes}. I would even go so far as to say that these piano concertos rank amongst the best from the classical period. I'm confident you will agree.