Search - Mendelssohn, Serkin, Stern :: Mendelssohn: The Two Piano Concertos;Violin Concerto in Em

MENDELSSOHN WITH METTLE!!!

Melvyn M. Sobel | Freeport (Long Island), New York | 08/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of the many Mendelssohn piano concerto recordings that have passed through these ears, Serkin's with Ormandy has remained my favorite since the LP era, and Sony was exceedingly wise to transfer them, early on (1991), to CD, coupled with Stern's sturdy performance of the E minor Violin Concerto. So, somebody was on the ball (for once).



Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 (written by Mendelssohn in his early twenties, hard to believe), his most popular, and for excellent reasons, is a work that grabs you immediately--- and never lets go. From the outset, the orchestra roils open, fomenting, and Serkin surges in, full-throttle--- truly "con fuoco"!--- his fiery and stunning virtuosity leaving you gasping for air. His is a force that gathers momentum like a coming tornado. No "prissy" Mendelssohn here: not with the Serkin/Ormandy electricity creating sparks at every turn, and spiralling us about like rag dolls. Doubtless, this is about as thrilling as it gets (without completely imploding). Serkin's daring panache, his execution of brilliant runs, double-noting that defies description, octaves and fabulous chordal sequences that are full and dead-on create a totality of such exciting proportions that, frankly, it peaks at darn near orgasmic level. It's pure, unadulterated musical tension at its finest. That's why when the tender secondary development appears, which we need badly, we are lulled by the brief respite, but only lulled--- because then, suddenly, in a whirlwind of almost impishly devilish delight, Mendelssohn lets all hell break loose again... until he seques flawlessly into the second movement Andante without interruption.



And, ah, what an Andante this is, and what a manipulator that Felix! From the throes of an almost unbearable adrenalin rush, he slows to a crawl and proceeds to drain our emotions further by the apposition of the most lyrical and tender sentiments. Serkin's playing here is as gentle as I've ever heard him, and Ormandy never intrudes on the pianist's ponderings; he caresses them. The interweaving of these two consummate artists is a wonder. Listen, for example, to Serkin's handling of the solo closing notes of the Andante... as the movement now seques, again, flawlessly, into the Presto finale... and we are shocked out of our reverie, yet a second time!, by a brass fanfare--- the Philadelphians playing their hearts out!--- and Serkin re-enters with a forward cascading thrust that delights, uplifts, intoxicates, his fingerwork dazzling... Ormandy's violins shimmering... and everyone, including us, sitting on the edge of our seats in a rivetting expectation of the fabulous conclusion to come... which comes, inevitably, and, yes, fabulously. Mr. Serkin, bravo!



The D minor Piano Concerto, Op. 40 (written in Mendelssohn's late twenties), although good, has always remained subordinate to the Op. 25, and probably for these reasons: It's quite obviously derivative of Op. 25 (almost a vague doppleganger) and far less inspired. Mendelssohn, himself, noted that it was written "in haste" for a concert tour of England, and it shows. Regardless, though, with the strength of Serkin and Ormandy behind it, the Op. 40 gets a better-than-expected reading, with a particularly beautiful Adagio.



As a "bonus," Sony gives us a good, though not altogether outstanding, performance of the E Minor Violin Concerto, Op. 64 with Isaac Stern (one of my favorite "rough and ready" violinists). There are many felicities here, not the least of which is the rousing Allegro finale, but overall the concerto, to me, seems a tad perfunctory. However, I'd rather have it on this reissue than not.



Amazingly enough, all these concertos come from 1959 recordings and, regardless of age, have been transferred to CD fresh and firm. The piano image, in particular, closely-miked and upfront, is phenomenal, never hidden or subservient, and allows us to hear every note, as well as more than a little huffing and puffing from Serkin himself (but I find this adds a nice human element to the mix). Ormandy's orchestral forces (both Philadelphia and Columbia Symphonies) come off superbly under his usual bold, warm direction. The recordings defy their age magnificently.



This is an outstanding bargain--- if for the Op. 25, alone, which must be heard to be believed: Mendelssohn with all the stops pulled! And Serkin at his zenith. Don't let this one pass you by. All other competition pales by comparison.



[Running time: 69:31]"

The Best Single Mendelssohn CD ever!

R. C. Walker | Encinitas CA, United States | 09/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"And it's cheap. This recording has compilation has popped up in various incarnations for a while now and is easily available at almost any used outlet. Even the new price is a tremendous bargain. It features Felix Mendelssohn's 3 best concerti played by soloists and conductor with great affinity for this literature and perform it with fondness and sparkling panache. It clocks in at just over 69 minutes, which isn't bad at all. Amazingly, this is also the only CD (known to me) that contains this obvious combination of kindred pieces.The pieces on the disc are Mendelssohn's Piano Concerti 1 & 2 (soloist: Rudolf Serkin) plus his Violin Concerto 2 (soloist: Isaac Stern). They and the Philadelphia Orchestra are conducted by Eugene Ormandy. In short, this is Mendelssohn heaven. The recordings, originally made around 1959, are bright, spacious, and clear; you can hardly get better from recordings made in the 21st Century.Mendelssohn wrote 4 piano concerti. The other 2 are duo-piano works composed earlier in his career (presumably for himself and Fanny to perform as soloists), and a lot of fun in their own right. He composed these works, in g (that is, G Minor) and d, for his own concert use. Mendelssohn is amazing: whereas so many composers regard minor keys as hallmarks of sturm, drang, and angst, he makes them sound at least as deliriously happy as any major. If the typical German piano concerto (Beethoven, Brahms, that bunch) is heavy-duty red wine to be drunk with dishes with names of at least 2 words and many syllables, the Mendelssohn concerti are the lightest champagne - and they are truly clear and sparkling.Contrary to opinions one sees now and then, this isn't a sign that Mendelssohn's concerti are inherently inferior to, for instance, Brahms'. Mendelssohn's models were the piano concerti of Mozart, which are frequently virtuosic display pieces tempered by Mozart's melodic genius. These are virtuosic display pieces tempered by Mendelssohn's melodic genius. OK, let's say they're somehow not the equal of Brahms' concerti; they're certainly the equal of Mozart's, and that's about as good as it gets.
The pattern of the concerti is typical: a meltingly beautiful slow movement sandwiched between two dazzling fast movements. Like Dvorak, and even more so than Mozart, Mendelssohn decorates his works with fleeting and temporary melodies most composers would build entire movements around. Each of the fast movements is an exhilarating roller-coaster ride of the sort no composer would outdo until Tchaikovsky's 1st. As to the slow movements: just try not to hum along. Serkin responds to the challenges of these concerti with tremendous elan, a dazzling affirmation of why he's on the short list of truly great pianists of the mid-20th Century. Ormandy is by temperament a fabulous interpreter of Mendelssohn's bubbly music.
Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto 2 is usually referred to only as "Violin Concerto in e", but there is a #1 - a juvenile work in d (1822). The 2nd Concerto (1844) is easily the most ingratiatingly beautiful violin concerto ever written (just ahead of the Bruch #1 ... also in a minor key, by the way). This is another case of "just try not to hum along". The primary theme of the 1st movement alone is on the very short list of best-known themes in the symphonic literature. The 1st movement altogether is one of the most passionate in the entire concerto literature. The 2nd movement, attached to the first by a single sustained note, is a love song for soloist and orchestra. The 3rd movement if full of the sort of wildness that would later be seen in the works of Wieniawski, Paganini, and Sarasate. Isaac Stern is fully the equal of Jascha Heifetz in this rendition, his tone more lush and ripe.This CD has everything: a perfect combination of similar pieces, given outstanding performances by some of the greatest performers of their time - and a recording that is still, almost half a century later, a sonic hallmark. And did I say before that it's cheap?"

Great performance of immature pieces

Timmy | New York, Ny United States | 12/08/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When I learned of Mendelssohn's piano concertos, I immediately wanted to buy them. Much to my dismay, his popular g-minor piano concerto was short and immature, devoid of any real merit.Although it is an elegant piece, it certainly doesn't compare with the piano concertos of other important composers. The d-minor concrto is a bit better (despite being less famous), but not by much. With the rather the limited violin repertoire, the very famous violin concerto is excellent, but that's not why I bought this CD. The saving grace of this disc is its performances. Serkin is an excellent pianist, and Sterne an excellent violinist 9both of these statements go without saying). Ormandy's typically lush strings are perfect for Mendelssohn's light compositional style. All in all, the pieces are inadequate, but you might want to buy the CD for the performances."