Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
The Complete Piano Music - 1
Capriccio in F sharp minor, op.5 (1825) [6:05]
Sonata in E, op.6 (1826) [23:36]
Sieben Charakterstücke, op.7 (1824-26) [27:21]
Sechs Lieder - book I, op.19b (1828-32) [17:04]
Howard Shelley (piano)
rec. St Michael's Church, Highgate, London, 26-27 March 2012. DDD
HYPERION CDA67935 [74:08]
One of the 19th century's most naturally gifted pianists performed by one
of the 21st century's is the proposition for this new series from Hyperion.
This bears all the signs of a chronological survey in six volumes of Mendelssohn's
unfailingly genial music for solo piano.
On the evidence, even of the opening Capriccio in F sharp minor, it is hard
to believe that Mendelssohn acquired a reputation for writing gemütliche
Musik. In intelligent, detailed booklet notes, his biographer R Larry
Todd discusses the likely reasons for this at some length. Though always
recognised as a prodigious composer, brilliant pianist, first-rate conductor
and highly significant musicologist, his essential 'Victorianism' became
a millstone with the advent of modernism. Extreme facility and conservative
musicianship rendered his corpus old-fashioned almost at a stroke, a view
that is still widespread today - and one for which Todd himself sometimes
hints at harbouring sympathy.
Yet the piano sonata in E, written by a boy in his mid teens, is a work
of striking beauty and no little depth, a tribute to Beethoven that the
latter would surely not have hesitated to perform. Howard Shelley gives
an account that would have impressed both men, light-fingered and showing
a dignified restraint in his pedalling. This serves as a reminder to other
pianists that they should be performing this work a lot more often.
Written around the same time, the sequence of Seven Character Studies, a
magical work timelessly mixing old and modern styles, is another nail in
the coffin for accusers of Gemütlichkeit. Shelley is movingly
expressive, reaching beneath the surface of Mendelssohn's score once again
to find Beethoven, and then Bach.
Of the four works in Shelley's programme, the Sechs Lieder op.19b come closest
to levity, although this has more to do with associations generated by generations
of publishers. As Todd explains, the Sechs Lieder are generally known as
'Lieder ohne Worte' ('Songs without Words'), but this is wrong - this title,
its English and French counterparts and individual 'song' titles are publisher
confections rustled up for the public regardless of Mendelssohn's offended
aesthetic.
Sound quality is very good, although the resonances associated with a church
setting are somewhat restricted, toned down by a stereophony that is quite
narrow. Nevertheless, this CD is a perfect place to start a Mendelssohn
collection - even for those who already have a recording of these works.
Byzantion
Collected reviews and contact at artmusicreviews.co.uk
A perfect place to start a Mendelssohn collection - even for those who already
have a recording of these works.
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