Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 [20:06]
Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 40 [22:55]
Variations sérieuses, Op. 54 [11:48]
Rondo capriccioso in E major, Op. 14 [7:08]
Songs without Words (Lieder ohne Worte): Book 1, Op. 19b, No. 6 in G minor 'Venetianisches Gondellied' (Venetian Boat Song) [1:58]
Jan Lisiecki (piano)
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
rec. 2018, Teatr Wielki, Warsaw (concertos); Polskie Radio, Studio 2, Warsaw
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 4836471 [63:53]
I refer you to Stephen Greenbank’s review of this release from May 2019, where he calls this recording “pianism at its best”, a verdict with which I concur. The older I get and the more I encounter his music, the more I appreciate Mendelssohn’s genius. He is still too often dismissed as soulless, lightweight and merely pyrotechnical, but, in any case, the supposed “flashiness” of Mendelssohn’s style is exciting in its own right, and clearly only half the story. Yes, both the opening and closing movements of the youthful
First Piano Concerto require exceptionally fluid and skilful prestidigitation from the pianist.
But, they sandwich a wonderfully soulful Andante whose profundity is enhanced by the orchestral accompaniment being couched mostly in lower register strings and by the insistent, sombre, left-hand of the pianist acting as a counterpoint
and grounding the airiness of the lyrical roulades of the right.
The Second Piano Concerto requires equal virtuosity but is more overtly serious and maturely Romantic in form and content, anticipating Schumann’s own foray into the genre and inhabiting an altogether more troubled and uncertain world. The rapt central movement, in particular, as with Mendelssohn’s chamber music, reflects his study of, and admiration for, Beethoven but the finale recaptures the airy, moto perpetuo mode of the G minor concerto.
These are brief, compact works which never outstay their welcome. The sheer exuberance of both concertos and their flawless execution by the prodigiously talented Lisiecki are reasons enough to acquire this recording, but he also offers three short bonuses. The
Variations sérieuses have more than a little of the formal brilliance of Mendelssohn’s beloved Bach about them; Lisiecki effortlessly encompasses their wide gamut of emotions and his lightness of touch as demonstrated in Variation 13 is remarkable. The Andante of the two-movement Rondo capriccioso begins in a manner startlingly reminiscent of Schubert’s An die Musik before morphing into the sighing style of Chopin.
The ensuing Presto leggiero defaults to the scintillating pyrotechnics so typical of the composer. The
“Venetian Gondola Song” makes a lovely, gentle conclusion as an antidote to all the commotion which has preceded it.
Once again, the conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is a paragon of sweet efficiency and melodiousness and their rapport with Lisiecki is obvious.
The sound is excellent, but in the quiet passages of the First Piano Concerto I sometimes detect some kind of rustling or crackling in the background which is not enough to compromise enjoyment, but is nonetheless there; I cannot quite place what it is, but the recording venue was different from the second, which experiences no such problems, so maybe there was some kind of interference in the Teatr Wielki.
Ralph Moore
Previous review: Stephen Greenbank
