I was driving when I caught substanial bits of Po3 this evening, in and out of the car, so it wasn't a careful focussed listening, but I can hardly say I enjoyed what I heard played by Robert Levin and OAE - Mozart PCs and a rondo, also LvB Coriolan but missed all of that really.

I have enjoyed fortepiano performances before, mainly junior Bachs, but these Mozart's were very uncomfortable listening, and I can't agree with the presenter/interviewer's comments about 'great interpretations' or whatever he said. The fortepiano Levin played was ugly, the right hand sounded like a N'Orleans honky-tonk while the left hand sounded like the theme to Addams Family, if I'd been at the concert I would have laughed out loud at one point and escorted away. The interview with Levin was cringeing, didn't sound at all like a natural interview but more like Levin was reciting his memorised own CD notes.

Anyone heard Levin-OAE tonight or recently? Am I failing to understand what he's doing?

Oh sorry about that Bryn, technically Levin may be at a high level but I thought he was improvising more than just the cadenzas though the instrument didn't help; I wonder if he had it made specially for the sound, I've heard much smoother/uniform original instruments.

I see there's a thread at TOP which doesn't surprise me, particularly cringed again at the reference to watching Levin playing - I've seen photos of Levin and can just imagine his muppet-like expressions (note, that is not intended to be anti-semitic    )