Customer Reviews

Mendelssohn, Concertos for 2 Pianos

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For my money, this disc is worth five stars, so here they are. Admittedly, these concertos are not great early Mendelssohn--just remarkable early Mendelssohn. Mozart, to whom Mendelssohn is often compared in precocity, couldn't match the quality of these works when he was fourteen or fifteen; he was cranking out rococo trivia for keyboard at the time. And with the young Mendelssohn, a single year does makes a difference; there is a clear progression here between the 1823 (A flat) and the 1824 (E major) work. Just goes to show how swift Mendelssohn's compositional development was.

These concertos are both big works, longer and more sprawling than Mendelssohn's classically proportioned and slightly dull concertos for one piano that he wrote in his early maturity. The Concertos for Two Pianos could have used more than a bit of pruning, it's true, but I admire their spunk and vivacity, not to mention the wealth of melody the youngster lavished on them. They sparkle.

So do these interpretations. The two pianists bring the requisite youthful verve to their parts, and Maksymiuk and his orchestra provide appropriate dashing accompaniments. With fine Hyperion sound, this is a first-rate entry in the Romantic Piano Concerto series.

This release in Hyperion's wonderful Romantic Piano Concerto series contains two of Mendelssohn's early compositions: the concerto in A flat major for two pianos and the concerto in E major for two pianos. Both pieces exemplify the vision and understanding Mendelssohn had as a composer for piano.

The concerto in A flat major is full of lively, almost pulsing music. It is very reminiscent of Mozart in many ways; particularly in the allegro vivace. The soloists play with great passion. The andante is very moving and beautiful.

The concerto in E major also has much to offer. It is sprawling and dreamlike at its inception and floats on in a similar manner until its close; becoming more and more lighthearted along the way. I really like this piece.

The concertos on this disc demonstrate both the simple beauty and sometimes menacing aspect of Mendelssohn's piano music. I highly recommend this powerfully delightful recording.

This third release in Hyperion's wonderful Romantic Piano Concerto series contains two of Mendelssohn's early compositions: the concerto in A flat major for two pianos and the concerto in E major for two pianos. Both pieces exemplify the vision and understanding Mendelssohn had as a composer for piano.

The concerto in A flat major is full of lively, almost pulsing music. It is very reminiscent of Mozart in many ways; particularly in the allegro vivace. The soloists play with great passion. The andante is very moving and beautiful.

The concerto in E major also has much to offer. It is sprawling and dreamlike at its inception and floats on in a similar manner until its close; becoming more and more lighthearted along the way. I really like this piece.

The concertos on this disc demonstrate both the simple beauty and sometimes menacing aspect of Mendelssohn's piano music. I highly recommend this powerfully delightful recording.

This third release in Hyperion's wonderful Romantic Piano Concerto series contains two of Mendelssohn's early compositions: the concerto in A flat major for two pianos and the concerto in E major for two pianos. Both pieces exemplify the vision and understanding Mendelssohn had as a composer for piano.

The concerto in A flat major is full of lively, almost pulsing music. It is very reminiscent of Mozart in many ways; particularly in the allegro vivace. The soloists play with great passion. The andante is very moving and beautiful.

The concerto in E major also has much to offer. It is sprawling and dreamlike at its inception and floats on in a similar manner until its close; becoming more and more lighthearted along the way. I really like this piece.

The concertos on this disc demonstrate both the simple beauty and sometimes menacing aspect of Mendelssohn's piano music. I highly recommend this powerfully delightful recording.

The concertos for two pianos and orchestra are teenage works, and although the list of Mendelssohnian teenage works includes such masterpieces as the string octet, they will come as something of a disappointment to anyone expecting another helping of the sparkling brilliance of Mendelssohn's "regular" piano concertos. The material is insubstantial, overworked and repetitive, and whereas there's no doubting Mendelssohn astonishing technical mastery for his age, the concertos come out as less than convincing. There are things to enjoy here, certainly, especially in such brilliant performances as these - Munro and Coombs seem to enjoy themselves immensely and they draw good support from Maksimyuk and the BBC Scottish - and there might be just about enough twists and turns to sustain interest through a single listening. The sound is well-balanced and fine as well. Still, this release - as opposed to the Hyperion release of the "single" concertos with Hough - probably remains an issue for specialists and/or ardent Mendelssohn fans.