[Ern Dog]

I'm looking for help picking out the best performance and best recorded version of Mozart's Piano Concertos and even better if I can just get the best ones on a 2-3 cd set instead of the whole enchilada of 8-11 CD's.  Thanks

[Photon46]

IMO, the concept of "best" performance is meaningless, there are too many valid ways to interpret Mozart (true of everything from this time period.) Does one favor period instruments or modern, pianoforte or modern piano, etc. That's the joy and the bane of being a music listener these days, so many good choices recorded over the decades! That said, these are my two choices for favorites on pianoforte and piano.

[Kenneth Patchen]

+1 for the Uchida/Tate

Cheers,
KP

[Kenneth Patchen]

Also ... Amazon sells a very nice, and affordable, complete set by Perahia. I like the Brendal set as well. Lately, I've been listening to Matthias Kirchnereit with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. Nicely recorded, modern instruments, spirited playing.

Cheerio,
KP

[Photon46]

Agreed, Murray Perahia & Alfred Brendel are excellent as well. I particularly admire Brendel's playing. Although not available as a completist set (he only covered six of Mozart's piano concertos,) I really have been really been enjoying Keith Jarrett and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra's versions of #'s 467, 488, 595, 271, 453, & 466. I found them in the sale rack of a local used music store and bought them although I was unfamiliar with Jarrett as a Mozart  interpreter. Really wonderful, spirited playing IMO and like most ECM recordings, excellent recordings. Jarrett's J.S. Bach is also worth seeking out as well.

[Ern Dog]

I'll check these out.  Thanks for the suggestions.