Mendelssohn: The Complete Solo Piano Music, Vol. 1
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FELIX MENDELSSOHN
Mendelssohn: The Complete Solo Piano Music, Vol. 1
Howard Shelley (piano)
[ Hyperion / CD ]
Release Date: Friday 1 February 2013
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One of the very great pianists of the nineteenth century, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) achieved legendary status for his performances and improvisations alike, though his piano compositions generally have not withstood comparison with the very best keyboard music of the century. The one piano sonata he published was deemed not to have broken new ground after Beethoven's path-breaking thirty-two; he created no large-scale cyclic works comparable to Robert Schumann's hybrid literary/musical fantasies for the instrument; his meticulously crafted Lieder ohne Worte exuded for many a refined romanticism not as soul-searching as the miniatures of Chopin or Brahms; and nowhere did his technical demands on the pianist challenge the Promethean exertions of Liszt.
"it's good to see Howard Shelley embarking on a six-volume reappraisal of these works, so often seen as lacking the depth of Chopin and the fire of Liszt. Fans of fireworks won't be disappointed though...With playing of this quality this is going to be a series to treasure." The Observer, 24th February 2013
"Here, once more, is that immaculate, lightly pedalled brilliance, unfaltering stylistic assurance, warmth and flexibility. Few pianists could do more for music that too often suggests a composer going through predictable paces...Hyperion's sound and presentation complement Shelley's admirable performances." Gramophone
"Technically, this is a tremendous disc. All the evidence tells us that Mendelssohn was something of a speed merchant and when...he asks for Presto, Shelley takes him at his word, with a fleetness and control that command admiration, not to mention envy...I particularly like the sparsity of his pedalling, leaving the composer's lines to do their own work" BBC Music
Tracks:
Capriccio in F sharp minor Op 5
Piano Sonata in E major Op 6
Sieben Charakterstücke Op 7
Lieder ohne Worte I Op 19b
