Mendelssohn: Concerto in D minor for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra

Mendelssohn wrote his first concertos between 1821 and '23 while still only a boy, fresh from his meeting with Goethe in Weimar.There was a double concerto for violin, piano and orchestra, plus one solo concerto each for the two instruments (they are all without opus number and not to be confused with the later piano concertos or the Violin Concerto Op. 64). Mendelssohn's teacher Zelter set up the meeting with Goethe, but his pupil soon surpassed him by far. Dinorah Varsi plays his rapid runs, chains of trills and parallel octaves with all the necessary virtuosity. Alexander Sitkovetsky, on the other hand, moves effortlessly between the 'galant' and the French styles, and in the double concerto he and Dinorah Varsi together offer a virtuoso display, pulling out all the stops. (Sitkovetsky was discovered at just 8 years of age by Yehudi Menuhin, under whose baton he later played Mendelssohn, it being Menuhin, incidentally, who rediscovered Mendelssohn's early violin concerto and brought it to the public's attention). A must for everyone interested in Mendelssohn's early works.

Rudens Turku’s first concerto recording for Avie uniquely couples two lesserknown works by Mendelssohn, the Concerto for Violin and Piano, and the early Sonata in F Major.

Rudens Turku, who has created a trio of compelling recital and chamber recordings for Avie, presents his first concerto recording for the label.

He ingeniously pairs Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Piano with the early Sonata in F Major, bringing together two of the composer’s lesser known works. In both, he is joined by his regular piano partner, Oliver Schnyder. The Double Concerto and F Major Sonata were written when Mendelssohn was in his 20s, still young but already an established soloist, conductor and composer. The ambitious three-movement Sonata lay dormant after its first performances – probably due to the composer’s career demands – and wasn’t revived until 1953 when Yehudi Menuhin published the work for the first time. The Double Concerto displays the work of a mature musician; the sensitivity with which Mendelssohn balances the two instruments is masterful, and the orchestral writing marries brilliance with beauty.

This unique coupling is a fitting tribute to the end of the Mendelssohn anniversary year.

“A highly gifted violinist with seductive tone. His playing is effortlessly elegant and optimistic” International Record Review

All artworks in this series are watercolours by the composer