Pianist Richard Goode and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, whose first performance at Carnegie Hall in 1980 was hailed as “an extraordinary musical experience” by the New York Times, came together for this first recording in a series of Mozart concertos to be released on Nonesuch. The recording, featuring the great Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466, paired with the Concerto No. 18 in B-flat Major, K. 456, received Gramophone magazine’s Record of the Month award in April 1997, was voted Stereo Review’s Record of the Year, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. The New York Times described Goode’s performance of Concerto No. 20 on this disc as “temperamental and dramatic … a darkly Beethovenian interpretation of one of Mozart’s most Beethovenian works.”

The Goode/Orpheus Mozart project has continued to receive widespread international recognition since the inaugural release. The second recording in this series, which includes Mozart concertos Nos. 25 and 9, was described by David Mermelstein of the New York Times as "fresh, energetic Mozart certain to tickle the fancy of anyone who delights in inspired music-making. Mr. Goode is an esteemed artist, technically adept and intellectually rigorous …On this disk, his efforts are a constant joy.” The third release in the series, a recording of the Mozart concertos Nos. 23 and 24, was described by The New Yorker as “intense performances of profound pieces.”