Felix Mendelssohn: Works for Clarinet, Basset Horn & Piano - Alan Hacker / Lesley Schatzberger / Richard Burnett [Import]

Felix Mendelssohn (Composer) (Artist), Alan Hacker (Clarinet) (Artist), Lesley Schatzberger (Basset Horn) (Artist), Richard Burnett (Piano) (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 6, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Amon Ra
• ASIN: B00000204H
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #474,521 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Concert Piece for clarinet, basset horn & piano No. 2 in D minor, Op. 114: Presto

2. Concert Piece for clarinet, basset horn & piano No. 2 in D minor, Op. 114: Andante

3. Concert Piece for clarinet, basset horn & piano No. 2 in D minor, Op. 114: Allegro grazioso

4. Rondo capriccioso, for piano in E major, Op. 14

5. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 6, Op. 67: Song Without Words for piano in F sharp minor, Op. 67/2

6. Song Without Words for piano No. 30 in A major ('Frühlingslied'), Op. 62/6

7. Song Without Words for piano No. 22 in F major, Op. 53/4

8. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 6, Op. 67: Song Without Words for piano in C major, Op. 67/4

9. Sonata for clarinet & piano in E flat major: 1. Adagio-Allegro moderato

10. Sonata for clarinet & piano in E flat major: 2. Andante

11. Sonata for clarinet & piano in E flat major: 3. Allegro moderato

12. Song Without Words for piano No. 29 in A minor ('Venetianisches Gondellied'), Op. 62/5

13. Song without Words for piano No. 29 in A minor ('Venetianisches Gondellied'), Op. 62/5

14. Variations sérieuses, for piano in D minor, Op. 54

15. Concert Piece for clarinet, basset horn & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 113: Allegro con fuco

16. Concert Piece for clarinet, basset horn & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 113: Andante

17. Concert Piece for clarinet, basset horn & piano No. 1 in F major, Op. 113: Presto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Insights, July 25, 2005

By 

Leslie Richford (Selsingen, Lower Saxony) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Felix Mendelssohn: Works for Clarinet, Basset Horn & Piano - Alan Hacker / Lesley Schatzberger / Richard Burnett (Audio CD)

The tiny English record label Amon Ra specializes in recording historical instruments, very often from the collection at the museum in Finchcocks in Kent, where pianist Richard Burnett has built up a considerable collection of fully-playable keyboard instruments. On the current Mendelssohn CD, Burnett himself plays six of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, his Rondo Capriccioso Opus 14 and his 17 Variations Sérieuses Opus 54 on a Graf Fortepiano built in 1826 in Vienna and a British Broadwood Pianoforte built in 1823. The sound is amazing, the instruments sounding a lot more modern than I had anticipated from some other fortepiano recitals that I have heard, although of course there are all the usual thumping noises etc that one associates with historical instruments of this category. Burnett explains his choices of instrument in the short but informative notes provided.

Mendelssohn's youthful E flat Sonata for Clarinet and Fortepiano is performed beautifully by Alan Hacker using a Bilton boxwood clarinet from the first part of the 19th century and Burnett on the Graf fortepiano. The two relatively short Konzertstücke for clarinet, basset horn and fortepiano are performed on different instruments: On the first, Alan Hacker plays a late 19th century Albert cocus wood instrument, Lesley Schatzberger a small-bore basset horn by Selmer and Richard Burnett an Erard Pianoforte made in London in 1866. The second Konzertstück is played on slightly earlier instruments.

A wonderful "museum" recording with some lovely harmonies, some delightful piano playing and some living music outside the general run-of-the-mill pattern. New aspects of Mendelssohn, new insights into the history of instrument-making.

5.0 out of 5 stars An artistic success, too, February 23, 2011

By 

Larry VanDeSande - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Felix Mendelssohn: Works for Clarinet, Basset Horn & Piano - Alan Hacker / Lesley Schatzberger / Richard Burnett (Audio CD)

I agree with everything Leslie Richford says in his well-written critique of this outstanding recording. Richard Burnett is a period keyboardist specializing in repertory that extends from the Classical to the Romantic eras. He has recorded the Mozart piano quartets and several Mozart piano concertos accompanied by string quartets on historic keyboards. He has also recorded a spate of Romantic era music including the Robert Schumann piano quintet & piano quartet and Schubert's Winterreise, among others. Burnett owns the instruments he plays, all part of his personal collection.

In this Mendelssohn recording, Burnett plays an 1866 Erard pianoforte and a Graf pianoforte from 1826. What you may be most surprised to hear is the level of his artistry on these instruments. If you compare his version of Mendelssohn's Rondo Capriciosso, Variations Serieuses and Song Without Words to the legendary collection from Murray Perahia, you'll find his artistry every bit that of Perahia's, who has the advantage of playing a modern concert grand piano with a steel harp and powerful sustaining characteristics. The pianoforte, with its wooden harp and limited sustaining ability, is hardly a match for today's pianos. Yet Burnett does equal justice to Mendelssohn's melodic masterpieces using ancient instruments.

But the high art interpretation does not end with Burnett's outstanding playing. Alan Hacker plays a period clarinet that is the equal of Charles Neidich and fairs well with other Mendelssohn groupings including the complete clarinet chamber music collection from Carl Baermann and Consortium Classicum under Dieter Klocker. With an excellent 1989 recording from Burnett's home in Finchcocks, Goudhurst, Kent, this is a recording that realizes the potential of Mendelssohn's gift in chamber music for woodwinds and keyboard in a way more special than most competitors, making it far more than a collection of parlor music or museum pieces. It is exceptionally well-played, very entertaining, and life-affirming.