Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Concertos for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Concerto no.1 in E major [30:35]
Concerto no.2 in A flat major [43:42]
Aglika Genova and Liuben Dimitrov (pianos)
Münchner Rundfunkorchester/Ulf Schirmer
rec, BR München, Studio 1, 28 September-2 October 2009. Stereo. DDD
CPO 777 463-2 [74:29]
Do Mendelssohn's early Concertos for Two Pianos receive more attention than
they merit these days? If so, it makes up for over a century of complete neglect;
they were only first published in the early 1960s. Today, however, they are
doing very well in the CD catalogues, a fact at least partly explained by
the relative paucity of great works in the genre.
Like almost all composing prodigies, Mendelssohn initially gained fame for
the fact that he was composing at all at such an early age rather than for
the quality of his music. It wasn't until his Midsummer Night's Dream Overture
at the age of 18 that he produced a lasting contribution to the repertoire.
These concertos predate that, and by my calculations were written at the ages
of 14 and 16. Those two years made a real difference and the Second Concerto
is by far the more accomplished. That said, they are both attractive works,
and the skill in their construction is undeniable. The First is stylistically
very close to many of the String Symphonies, while the second moves more towards
the virtuoso styles of some of the great pianist-composers of the day, early
Chopin and perhaps Field. All the melodies have bounce, but few are memorable.
Contrapuntal development plays out in textbook fashion, impressive but rarely
engaging. And structurally both works hold together well, although the musical
material doesn't really justify the huge length of either.
Even in his mature output, Mendelssohn rarely indulges in complex or dense
textures, and simplicity is certainly one of the virtues of this music. It
begs the question, though, of why two pianos are required. It rarely sounds
like two pianos, and while I suspect there is a good deal of discourse between
the solo instruments; they are not separated in the stereo array in this recording,
so it is difficult to tell. They could both be more prominent against the
orchestra, although the sheer quantity of orchestral music here suggests that
the composer considered it an equal partner. The pianists put in good performances,
and never try to milk the music for more emotion or substance than is there.
The performance style balances a fine line between the Classical and the Romantic.
Beethoven was, after all, still alive when these works were written, and the
very disciplined use of rubato, by orchestra and pianists alike, alludes to
the Classical conventions that were surely still in force in 1820s Berlin.
On the other hand, the velvety string lines, the occasional cantabile indulgences
by the pianists, and the sheer size of the orchestra look forward to Schumann
and even Brahms.
This is music to just enjoy rather than to ponder at length, and whilst its
pleasures are simple, they are also numerous. For me, the best of it is to
be found in the finale of the Second Concerto. The rondo theme, based on a
descending four-note figure, is about the most memorable on the disc. The
pianos really take the fore, and the orchestra only intercede to provide brief
up-beat tutti episodes that aren't a million miles from Haydn. For all that
classicism, you can really hear Mendelssohn's mature voice forming. Both the
soloists and the orchestra are more indulgent here in terms of rubato and
dynamic extremes, but this more mature music can cope. It is as if the players
had been biding their time up to now, waiting for the composer's famous sophistication
to emerge. When it does, it is well worth the wait.
Gavin Dixon
This is music to just enjoy rather than to ponder at length.