Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos

Felix [1] Mendelssohn (Composer), Neville Marriner (Conductor), Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (Orchestra), Murray Perahia (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Murray Perahia
• Orchestra: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
• Conductor: Neville Marriner
• Composer: Felix [1] Mendelssohn
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000026GB
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,873 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #24 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > General Modern
  • #27 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > General AAS
  • #35 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Keyboard

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: MENDELSSOHN,F.
Title: CON PNO 1/2
Street Release Date: 01/01/1987
Domestic
Genre: CLASSICAL COMPOSERS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pianist Perahia as the Foremost Interpreter of Mendelssohn, May 20, 2000

By 

Michael A Pahre (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos (Audio CD)

Mendelssohn was an accomplished and quick-learning pianist who wrote many of his compositions apparently out of boredom with the repertoire of the day. The concertos on this recording show the joyousness that effuses most of his compositions, which probably went hand-in-hand with his ability to write them quickly and effortlessly. That is not to say that these works lack mastery in their conception or execution, but rather that they exhibit the free flowing of musical ideas that had not been seen in a composer since Mozart.

Pianist Murray Perahia is a specialist in the music of the classical and early romantic periods; Mendelssohn as a transitional figure between those periods is perfectly suited to his elegant and coloristic technique. He takes quick and happy tempos throughout, and, as is his trademark, Perahia never seems capable of turning out anything but beautiful phrasing. His tone is subtle but filled with great presence and no forcefulness in the attack. Rather than treat Mendelssohn as a shallow composer of salon pieces, Perahia sees in him the drama and pianistic brilliance more often associated with von Weber. These recordings of the concertos will bring joy to any listener, and most will find little room for improvement.

The Variations Serieuses in is one of the greatest works for the piano in that genre, rivalling Bach's Goldberg, Beethoven's Diabelli, Brahms's Paganinni and Handel sets, and Rachmaninoff's on a theme of Pagannini. Mendelssohn's work, however, is under-appreciated even among pianists. Its greatest invention is the complete integration of the entire work, instead of being a loose set of variations that could be re-arranged, cut, or otherwise altered by a performer. The somber key of D minor does not diminish the brilliance of many of the variations, but rather forms an introspective mood for the work. Perahia lets the piece unfold slowly and lyrically, keeping the virtuosity mostly under control until the Coda. You will be breathless by the time he plays the last note. The expansive melodic content of this work, which often carries smoothly from one variation to the next, is carefully and beautifully captured by Perahia. His performance compares favorably with other good, including De Larrocha, Brendel, and Horowitz.

The disk is rounded out by several other little vignettes, the Prelude and Fugue and the Rondo capriccioso, both in E minor. As before, Perahia demonstrates in these pieces his ability to shade and spin beautiful phrases.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this recording and recommend it to anyone., July 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos (Audio CD)

If you like exhilarative, romantic piano music, then this is the CD for you.

I shall comment on the First Piano Concerto: Murray Perahia, really puts his heart and soul into this recording. The crispness and ease of the arpeggios at the beginning of the first movement really sets the concerto off wonderfully. I have listened to several recordings of this concerto and I feel that this one is by far the best. The passage leading up to Murray's solo section is delightful. He makes the piano sing and his touch and artistic feeling at that moment is something quite special.

The last movement is fiery, energetic and full of enthausiasm. This movement really gets the adrenalin pumping for me!

If you are a lover of Mendelssohn and/or romantic music, this CD is a must!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Must have for any classical collection, July 23, 2001

By 

K. Thompson (GA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos (Audio CD)

This CD is pretty close to perfect. The concertos are beautiful, and there's really nothing like them. The orchestra never drowns out the piano (due to the fabulous conducting of Marriner), and Perahia can really bring out the beauty of any song and any piano.

The solo pieces on this CD are pretty good. Perahia brings out the melody very well on the Prelude and Fugue. And the Variations Serieuses are wonderful to listen to. However, the only reason I didn't give this CD 5 stars is the Rondo Capriccioso. At the opening Andante section, Perahia doesn't really play it fast enough, so the first two minutes of the piece sound like a beautiful dirge. The Rondo section, however, is absolutely perfect. His speed is precise and consistant, and his octaves at the end really add a great "bang" ending to the song, and for that matter, the CD. Not only was Mendelssohn a master, but so were Perahia and Marriner. This is a must have for any classical lover!