Penguin Guide 3 stars; Fono Forum: outstanding.
This album features two significant works by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, performed by pianists Roland Pöntinen and Love Derwinger, with the Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam conducted by Lev Markiz. The album includes Mendelssohn's Concerto in E major for Two Pianos and Orchestra, composed in 1823, and his Concerto in A flat major for Two Pianos and Orchestra from 1824. Both pieces highlight Mendelssohn's early compositional style, rich in melody and sophisticated in structure, yet demonstrating his evolving mastery of the piano. The E major concerto, completed when Mendelssohn was 14, reflects his admiration for Mozart and features a lively dialogue between the pianos. The A flat major concerto, written a year later, showcases Mendelssohn's growing maturity and confidence, with intricate harmonies and a seamless integration of solo and orchestral parts. The performances by Pöntinen and Derwinger are technically demanding, capturing the vivacity and elegance of Mendelssohn's compositions.
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