Mendelssohn's Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2

[Lance]

Some days are made for hearing Mendelssohn's music - there are many, in fact. But it was piano concerto night. If Mendelssohn's music can be considered highly virtuosic, it would be in his two piano concertos, No. 1 in g, op. 25 and No. 2 in d, Op. 40. My favourite recording of these works has always been with Rudolf Serkin with Ormandy conducting (Columbia/Sony Classical). But today, I dug into an older recording on the Chandos label [9215] recorded in December 1992. Howard Shelley is both pianist and conductor leading the London Mozart Players. We already know, Howard Shelley can play everything; look what's he's done for Franz Liszt! It is difficult to imagine him conducting from the keyboard having to deal with the piano itself. For a recording that is now over three decades old, it remains a hair-raising performance. Such clarity in his playing - not to mention precision. There are, of course, countless recordings of these two piano concertos. The Piano Concerto No. 1 is an amazing feat, technically. His Steinway literally glitters and the London Mozart Players are in top form, with him every second. The recording has a natural quality about it puts you directly into the superb acoustics of St. Silas in Kentish Town, London. One would be hard-pressed to find a recording that is as convincing as this.

Recordings that I have include Perahia, Serkin (of course), Graffman (#1), Stadtfeld (#1, Joyce (#1), Schiff, Katin, Thibaudet, Prosseda, Lang Lang (#1), Yuja Wang (#1), Ousset (#1), Ogdon (2 versions), Sangiorgio (#2), Lympany (#1), Hobson, Lukas Foss (#1), Brautigam, Derek Han, Shelley, Leonskaja, Marshev, Kuerti, Dorfman (#1), Backhaus (#1-piano roll), Hough, Hough (#1-live), Firkusny (#1), Kalichstein, Lars Vogt, Ortiz, Katsaris, Kyriakou, Kuleshov (#1), Ponti, Pierce. Given all these artists, one wonders why a pianist like Horowitz never took on the First Concerto, which appears to be the most popular of both of them. So, over a period of many years, I have listened intently to these concertos and love them all the more with each hearing.

[maestrob]

Goodness, Lance, when DO you find the time to listen to all those?

I also love Mendelssohn's piano music, especially his concertos, but have only two recordings, Perahia & Cristina Ortiz. Believe it or not, I love the sparkly in Ortiz's playing: she seems to have downloaded Mendelssohn's spirit right into her fingers. A real sleeper recording, one that I return to often.

[Lance]

Well, when you consider collecting CDs from their emergence, roughly 1985, that's almost 40 years of acquisition. The "problem" for me is that I am artist prone, hence so many renditions in all that time, and it becomes helpful in planning radio programs for the last 56 years. I don't discard CDs, though I should, and it will probably happen at some point. The different "takes" artists have with repertoire is what makes "collecting" so interesting. Same notes on a page, but other ideas in reading those notes. It's been a wonderful life-long interest that one can take to the grave (but without the CDs!).

Goodness, Lance, when DO you find the time to listen to all those?

I also love Mendelssohn's piano music, especially his concertos, but have only two recordings, Perahia & Cristina Ortiz. Believe it or not, I love the sparkly in Ortiz's playing: she seems to have downloaded Mendelssohn's spirit right into her fingers. A real sleeper recording, one that I return to often.

[Belle]

I love the Mendelssohn concertos - all - which includes the Violin concerto. There was energy and joie de vivre in them, in spades. He's still a somewhat under-rated composer, IMO. Perhaps his music is just too 'accessible' for its own good!!