Sonata No. 3 in B flat major, K. 281
Sonata No. 3 in B flat major was written in 1774 when Mozart was only 18. He wrote this sonata during his visit to Munich in an attempt to find alternative employment as he was growing discontent with his work in Salzburg. K. 281 has three movements in the sonata-allegro form that was common during the Classical period. I. Allegro has a virtuosic theme that flourishes in B flat major. II. Andante amoroso has a beautiful melody that explores the expressive possibilities of E flat major with inspiration from the dynamic qualities of the clavichord. III. Rondo returns to B flat major in a playful manner with syncopation and joking modulations and themes.
Emil Gilels’s performance of Sonata No. 3 is beautiful and has a reminiscent quality. His use of the colors from the piano is pure and has a mesmerizing character. His tempos are slower than that of Vadim Chaimovich. Chaimovich’s faster tempo changes the entire character of the piece in my opinion. Gilel’s Allegro movement allows for a more diverse set of characters. Chaimovich’s first movement embraces the virtuosic appeal of this sonata. Below are the recordings of Vadim Chaimovich’s and Emil Gilels’s interpretations of Sonata No. 3 in B flat major.
Vadim Chaimovich
Emil Gilels
It's interesting how the difference in tempi of the Allegro movement allows for different characters. I'm not used to hearing this sonata at Gilels's tempo, but I like it a lot! To me, Chaimovich's sounds more orchestral and Gilels's more pianistic.
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