Mendelssohn: Song without Words, Op. 62 No. 6 in A major 'Spring Song' (Frühlingslied) - CD

Martin Stadtfeld performs Mendelssohn, Schumann & Bach, with the renowned Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, under its founder, Sir Neville Marriner. This is the first Mendelssohn (1809-1847) disc from acclaimed, award winning German pianist Stadtfeld, who caused a stir in 2002, becoming the first German to win the 'International Bach Competition' in Leipzig. There are two CD's, with disc one being a x13 piece body of Mendelssohns work & then a bonus disc two containing x4 pieces of work, covering Schumann & Bach.

None of us can deny that they have fallen prey to the lure of a junk shop or of the chaotic mysteries of an attic, and sometimes purchasers of an old wardrobe or chest of drawers find there a bundle of treasure left behind … well, the spirit of ‘What have we here?’ permeates the adventures captured on this album. Salon music had its heyday on record in the era of 78s, since the length of a side suited it so well, and for that reason some titles— such as Rubinstein’s Melody in F and Paderewski’s Minuet in G—may be familiar, but there are ‘finds’ to be had in any such compilation. This is music on which most aspiring pianists have cut their teeth, giving them as it does both the satisfaction of mastering a complete piece without straining their technique (well, mostly) as well as the backbone of a repertoire that makes for a welcome family evening around the piano; alas for us all that we cannot offer renderings of such sympathetic finesse and lyrical elegance as are here set down by Philip Martin ‘at home’ and off-duty from his award-winning complete Gottschalk recordings on Hyperion.

Along with his friend Caruso, Fritz Kreisler (1875–1962) was one of the superstars of the early gramophone era. He was “the master musician among the violinists of the day” (New York Times); he died 50 years ago (29 January 1962). As a composer, he is famous for his Viennese-style melodies, such as Liebesfreud and Liebesleid, for his notorious pieces “in the style of” various 18th-century masters (which he passed off as their original works, claiming to have rediscovered them in old manuscripts), and for his arrangements of well-known works by other composers.

We remember one of the world’s greatest violinists with an enticing 2CD set that includes a first time release on CD of a tribute LP from 1961, original Kreisler recordings, and an array of great modern violinists playing his works.

“The usual things: technical perfection; febrile, vibrato-heavy emotions; strength . . . Her "wired" playing style is especially notable in the chamber pieces, partly because of André Previn, her piano partner . . . his fingers are admirably clean and agile even at the swiftest speeds . . . Lynn Harrell, Mutter’s cello colleague, maintains an appealing velvet throb in the Trio . . . [Concerto]: you can feel the adrenalin pumping . . . the German superstar, pirouetting nicely with a burnished tone, nervous rhythms, a furious finale and a vibrating, skylark andante” The Times, London

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy is regarded as the inventor of the ‘Songs without Words’ genre. He wrote eight volumes, each containing six Songs without Words. Michael Korstick performs these genial atmospheric pieces, which are all too often only heard only as encores, with a dazzling interpretive guise.

Rudolf Ganz (1876-1972) was one of the most remarkable Swiss musicians of the 20th-century, as pianist, teacher and conductor. From his earliest days he knew, performed and recorded music by the latest composers before World War I, and when he went to America he was conductor of the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestras for many years. He continued to give concerts in his 80s as a pianist, and the range of his achievements is considerable. This new CD is a magnificent tribute to a great musician, friend of Bartok, Korngold and Busoni - Ravel dedicated one of his most famous piano works to Ganz - and conductor who gave the world premieres of music by Copland and Elliott Carter, among many others. On this CD, we have recordings from piano rolls of 1913, and a very rare performance of Grieg's 'Holberg Suite' recorded in the USA in the late 1940s. There are rare photographs and the booklet notes are fascinatingly detailed. A most important record.

Includes footage from Ganz's 80th birthday interview on Lausanne Radio.