Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 & 2

In Mendelssohn’s piano concertos, the ingenious profile of the composer and piano virtuoso is particularly memorable. The vigorous vitality of the youth work, great gestures in the subject matter and early matured mastery in symphonic development work characterize the first concert already and continue – albeit noticeably more subtly – in the second. This music also impressively demonstrates the mastery the 22-year-old had achieved on his favourite instrument. Even today’s keyboard tigers of the same age are already competitively emulating this artistry Outside of this rather Olympic motivated competition, in the maturity of a grand seigneur, Rudolf Serkin worked his way through the virtuoso material at the end of the 50s. With astonishing accuracy and a finely balanced touch, he unfolds the densely packed sheet music, immerses the flowing melodies and figures in an openheartedly bright light and paints a landscape of warm romantic colours with fine but decisively guided strokes. We would like to thank the good spirits who controlled the recording technology with their expert hands. Their use rounds off this plate to a masterpiece

Recordings: December 1957 and October 1959 at the Broadwood Hotel, Philadelphia, by Stan Tonkel.