The concerto performances
here have been available in a number of guises over the years,
and have rarely been out of the catalogue. In their last incarnation
they were coupled with the other items from Perahia’s later,
digital solo disc, namely the Variations sérieuses, Op.54
and the famous Rondo Capriccioso, Op.14, as well as the
Prelude and Fugue that’s here again. The powers-that-be at Sony
must have decided that the Piano Sonata represents better value,
and it is certainly a very substantial piece, making a well-filled
re-issue.
The concerto recordings
are, as you would expect from these artists, full of the wit
and warmth that good Mendelssohn playing needs. Outer movements
sparkle and the slow movements sing. The drama and bravura of
the G minor’s opening allegro con fuoco are superbly
realised by Perahia, and the famous andante lulls us
like a restful romanza. The Weber-like brilliance of
the finale shows just what a technician Perahia is, and Marriner
matches him all the way.
The D minor concerto,
written a few years later and again premiered by the composer,
is a very similar beast structurally and stylistically. It has
been said that these works ‘play themselves’, but when you hear
the right artists making it sound easy, you know a great deal
of thought and effort have gone in to make it sound this way.
This concerto has not generally been as popular as the first,
but it contains much lovely music, especially the scintillating
finale where Perahia revels in the intricate passagework. This
was recorded barely two years after his famous first prize at
the 1972 Leeds Competition. I vividly remember, sitting only
yards from him, the buzz that went round the hall as he transfixed
us with the Chopin First Concerto, totally masterful yet natural
and spontaneous, as here.
The solos items
are excellent – I still have the original release – and the
fascinating, youthful Sonata shows us a 17-year-old composer
revelling in his gifts as well as providing a tribute to his
beloved Beethoven. It is also quite adventurous in its continuous,
cyclic form. Whilst it may have flaws it is a very engaging
piece, especially given this near-ideal advocacy.
There is, as ever,
strong competition in the concertos in all price brackets. However
at lower-mid and budget price the rival is Benjamin Frith’s
superb disc on Naxos, coupled with the Capriccio brillante
and Rondo brillante, two shorter showpieces. There is
also András Schiff with Dutoit and the Bavarian RSO on a cheap
Decca Ovation coupled with a generous selection of Songs Without
Words. In many respects, Schiff and Dutoit are very similar
to Perahia and Marriner – the timings are nearly identical –
and I would be hard pressed to choose. The Decca is a warmer,
digital recording whereas the Sony is analogue with traces of
tape hiss and a slightly harder edge. However, the playing is
so good it’s impossible not to welcome it. If you are fans of
the artists and couplings, don’t hesitate.
Tony Haywood
Murray Perahia (piano)
