Mozart Piano Concerto 21.

Tweekerman, believe it or not, I am saying that I don't enjoy listening to just about anything Oistrakh did recorded or live. In fact, Oistrakh reminds me of another Russian artist, Emil Gilels, another one I am perplexed why there is such a huge cult following from otherwise intelligent and tasteful music lovers.
IMO, I find them both very predicable, everything sounds the same regardless of the composer or particular piece. technical uniformity and sterility mar their performances. They are some of the few "great" artists that don't sound alive or spontaneous "live" to me. i.e. ... Gilels Carnegie hall live recital, or even the Bach Double with Menuhin...

Tweekerman, I prefer Szigeti, Huberman, Heifetz, Thibaud, Busch, Neveu, Elman, Menuhin easily over Mr. O. What recordings??? All of his Beethoven Sonatas, Mozart Concertos, Bach Concertos, Shostakovich Concertos, Prokofieff Concerti and sonatas, all of his chamber music recordings, Khatchaturian Cto., etc, etc.Don't mean to trash him, he's just not my cup of tea. I can't get over his factory mechanicalness.
Hilary Hahn is OK. But honestly, in the end, she is a brat that is packaged really well. IMO, she is not in the "greats" league and don't think she ever will be. I don't think she has the sensitivity, depth or intelligence of an interesting artist. There is a 2 dimensionality to her tone and playing, a thinness and vacuosness. Just my opinion.

Tweekerman, if you don't believe that a pianist can play and conduct at the same time with good results... check out the Andreas Staier/ concerto Koln recording of Mozart concerti #'s 9 and 18. He is playing the fortepiano, and it has an "authentic" presentation, but Mozart is everywhere. Let me know if that changes your mind.

I'll give it a listen, but lets see this guy perform #'s 20-27 in dual role. By the way just got in the Oistrakh performing/conducting Mozart P.C. #3 and another performance with Oistrakh playing #3 with Galleria conducting the orchestra. hummm, Oistrakh takes them both almost exactly the same. And the orchestra playing is good in his conductor position. I'm restating my position on these Oistrakh performances. But the pianist/conductor , I stand firm.

I have 6-7 versions of concerto 21 including:
Perahia
Schiff
Brendel
Bilson
Kovacevich
Jando
Ashkenazy

Although many of these are very good I am not entirely satisfied, and I think there is better version out there if I look a bit more. The Perahia/Sony which all the critics praise sounds a bit reserved overall to me, the Bilson/Archiv using fortepiano sounds flat/restrained compared to the additional color drama a modern piano adds.

Of all the above I think the Kovacevich/Phillips would be my favorite, and at budget price a great buy.

I would like to hear the versions by:
Pletnev
Shelley
Cassadeus
Staier