Piano Concerto No 1 In G Minor Op. 25: I. Molto Allegro con fuoco
Piano Concerto No 1 In G Minor Op. 25: II. Andante
Piano Concerto No 1 In G Minor Op. 25: III. Presto -- Molto Allegro e vivace
Rondo Brillant In E Flat Major Op. 29
Piano Concerto No 2 In D Minor Op. 40: I. Allegro appassionato
Piano Concerto No 2 In D Minor Op. 40: II. Adagio: Molto sostenuto
Piano Concerto No 2 In D Minor Op. 40: Finale: Presto scherzando
Serenade And Allegro Giocoso In B Minor Op 43
Mendelssohn was called a "spoiled genius" by the famous musical scholar Tovey. Aside from a few out and out masterpieces, it's hard to find a single late work of his that doesn't overreach itself in one way or another. ... more »But that doesn't mean that there aren't many more fine works than he's usually given credit for, and the piano concertos certainly fall into this category. Modest in ambition and full of that feather-light filigree that Mendelssohn did better than anyone, when played with the verve and commitment that Stephen Hough brings to them, they sound like great music, plain and simple. The two Brillante works that come with the concertos live up to their titles. A fine disc. --David Hurwitz« less
Mendelssohn was called a "spoiled genius" by the famous musical scholar Tovey. Aside from a few out and out masterpieces, it's hard to find a single late work of his that doesn't overreach itself in one way or another. But that doesn't mean that there aren't many more fine works than he's usually given credit for, and the piano concertos certainly fall into this category. Modest in ambition and full of that feather-light filigree that Mendelssohn did better than anyone, when played with the verve and commitment that Stephen Hough brings to them, they sound like great music, plain and simple. The two Brillante works that come with the concertos live up to their titles. A fine disc. --David Hurwitz
CD Reviews
Super Performances and an Excellent Value
11/03/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The excellent value comes as a result of getting all, I believe, of Mendelssohn's concerted music with piano (except for the early Violin and Piano Concerto) on one disc. That produces a CD of quite generous duration (75 minutes). But more importantly, the performances of all these works are some of the finest I've heard and are captured in sound that is both airy and crystalline.Stephen Hough is a specialist in the early-Romantic repetoire, and he does not disappoint in Mendelssohn's busy, bustling concerted pieces. Some have called Mendelssohn a note spinner at the piano, but these works are brim-full of memorable melodies and often exciting virtuoso passages, such as the cascading passagework in the First Concerto's last movement. Though the composer eschews the big-chord sound of later Romantics, his long-breathed runs and pianistic filigree bring their own formidable challenges, to which Hough is always equal. And if you don't know the less-familiar works on this disc, the Rondo Brilliant and Serenade, I can't think of a better way to get to know these delightful works, in which Mendelssohn is at his most "giocoso."Lawrence Foster leads the City of Birmingham Symphony in accompaniments that match Hough in brilliance and panache. All in all, this disc is a fine entertainment."
I love paradoxes
Ryan Richards | Midland, MI United States | 06/30/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The other reviewer of this CD said it all, so I'll just add that this CD is Mendelssohn the way it's supposed to sound. Stephen Hough is, in my opinion, as virtuoso a pianist as ever there was, and his genius lies in his inexplicable combination of raw power and precise, clear technique. Basically, you can hear every note he plays, yet they're all strong, confident notes. In addition, Hough definitely understands the felicitous nature of Mendelssohn's music; everything comes out sounding playful as well as powerful. I don't understand how Hough can do that either, but I'm sure not complaining; the result is some of the most irresistably compelling piano music I've heard. The City of Birmingham SO backs him up with their usual skill; they don't wimp out and try to hide behind the soloist, but come in with guns blazing, enjoying every minute of each piece--yet somehow, they always manage to keep the soloist at the forefront of the action. So there are all these paradoxes in the performances of these pieces, but they're all *good* paradoxes. If you haven't heard these pieces before, you can't go wrong with this CD. In fact, if you haven't heard Mendelssohn before, this CD will give you an excellent idea of what he's all about. Worth every penny."
Great playing, bad recording.
M. Lu | 02/23/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"What irony. These are charming, urbane, melodic works that show Mendelssohn's great gifts to fine effect. While Hough's playing could at times benefit from a little more verve or even fire, he certainly captures the easy grace of these works with style. There's one big problem with this disc, though, and a most distracting one at that: the engineering. The piano is beautifully recorded, but the orchestra sounds like it was recorded by someone standing outside a concert hall: slightly muffled, distant, and a bit shrill in the high strings, to boot. It's jarring to hear the soloist and orchestra in two seemingly different acoustics."
"Pearls scattered upon velvet"
Steven Eldredge | New York, NY USA | 07/11/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Pearls scattered upon velvet" was how a writer once described a particular nineteenth century pianist's sound. ( I can't remember right now who it was, it might have been Thalberg, Mendelssohn's contemporary) This phrase came to my mind over and over as I listened to Stephen Hough's piano tone in these terrific recordings of Felix Mendelssohn's five works for piano and orchestra. I have heard high-powered performances, particularly of the First Concerto in G minor ( the piece that Berlioz claimed, in a wonderful moment of poetic conceit, all the pianos at the Paris Conservatoire played by themselves each night after the students had gone home!) which overwhelmed the delicate, refined style of Mendelssohn's music.Often the left hand repeated chords in the Finale are hammered out in the ugliest way. Stephen Hough finds a virtuosity which is at once elegant, gossamer when needed, and propulsive without ever being percussive. Tempi go along with that manner of playing, and are generally swift and airy. To go from the world of Hummel's Concerto in A minor or B minor to the concerti of Mendelssohn is really only a jaunt next door through the garden gate. I think Mr Hough's playing of concerti and sonatas by Hummel really helped him form a view of Mendelssohn's piano world which is not too heavily Romantic, but with a chaste Classical side to it.
Orchestral contributions from the City of Birmingham Orchestra under Lawrence Foster are ideal.
All in all, a lovely way to spend an hour and fifteen minutes with some lovely music."
Not bad
M. Lu | Los Angeles, CA | 10/29/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Stephen Hough performed most of the pieces well here. But there's one movement that I have a hard time getting through every time I listen to it.
I think he played the second movement of Piano Concerto no. 2 WAY TOO FAST...! Mendelssohn even titled it "Adagio, molto sostenuto"... I have absolutely no idea why he decided to play it like another 1st or 3rd movement."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1