Favourites,
Felix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn is probably one of the best-known and best-loved German Romantic composers; his undeniable gift for melody resulted in numerous works that have become firm favourites with audiences ever since (his symphonies, the Hebrides overture, the Violin Concerto and many more) - a considerable output for a man who died at the age of only 38.
It's not surprising that such a prominent composer has been recorded extensively - choosing recordings of the symphonies was a particularly tricky task, as so many great conductors have put their stamp on them! The list below is, as always, necessarily a mere sampling of the enormous wealth of performances out there.
Orchestral Works
Vladimir Ashkenazy leads the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra in this set of all five symphonies - an excellent way to get to know these great works for a very reasonable price!
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
Mendelssohn's First Symphony is in fact a re-orchestration by the composer of his final string symphony (one of thirteen composed in his youth as 'practice' exercises); its youthful spirit comes across clearly in this performance by the CBSO under Edward Gardner, while the liveliness of the Scottish Symphony is as joyful as one could wish.
Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Probably my personal favourite among all of Mendelssohn's works, the Hymn of Praise (in German Lobgesang) was commissioned to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Gutenberg's printing press, and sets a series of Biblical and Biblically-inspired texts celebrating the victory of light over darkness. Pablo Heras-Casado leads the Bavarian Radio Orchestra and Chorus, and soloists Christiane Karg, Christina Landshamer and Michael Schade, in a triumphant and well-paced performance.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
I turn to Gardner and the CBSO again for my final two symphonic choices - the Italian in all its sunny playfulness and the powerfully Lutheran Reformation, a work that in my view has yet to assume the place it deserves in the repertoire - all topped off by a characterful performance of his famous Hebrides Overture.
Available Formats: SACD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Mendelssohn's thirteen string symphonies, written between the ages of 12 and 24 as composition exercises, are not often performed; but as this set from the Lucerne Festival Strings under Achim Fiedler shows, they are delightful works in their own right, which it would be a mistake (and a loss) to disregard.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
The Violin Concerto is one of Mendelssohn's best-known works, and indeed suffers rather from over-exposure as a favourite showpiece for violinists. James Ehnes nevertheless manages to rejuvenate the work and illuminate it in new ways; but to be honest, I've chosen this disc at least as much for the Octet as for the Concerto. The Seattle Chamber Music Octet produce a gloriously rich sound that gripped me from the opening bars!
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC
Choral Works
An unashamedly large-scale Elijah employing nearly 450 musicians, and with fantastic solo singing from Simon Keenlyside, Robert Murray and Sarah Connolly. Paul McCreesh directs the impressive forces (the orchestra here playing on period instruments) with panache, and draws a sound from the choir that is appropriately hefty yet never clumsy.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The New-Testament counterpart to Elijah, Paulus gives a similar treatment to the life of the apostle Paul. Generally performed in the original German, it shows the influence on Mendelssohn of Bach's St Matthew Passion (which he was almost the first person to perform after Bach fell out of favour during the late 18th Century - sowing the first seeds of the early music movement!). Richard Hickox's iconic performance with the BBC National Chorus and Orchestra of Wales was re-issued by Chandos to mark the anniversary celebrations in 2009.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, MP3, FLAC
Mendelssohn wrote a considerable body of sacred music besides his large-scale Biblical oratorios; this disc presents just a small selection of these delightful works including the mellow, reassuring Verleih' uns Frieden and the miniature cantata O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden, based on Hans Leo Hassler's immortal melody.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC
Instrumental & Chamber Works
Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Worte, Songs Without Words, are just that: Lied-like settings for solo piano that sit firmly within the Romantic tradition of solo songs, but lack a singer! Sometimes unfairly dismissed as parlour pieces for amateurs, they are endlessly varied and often extremely beautiful musical miniatures; and who better than Daniel Barenboim to show them in the best possible light?
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
The organ sonatas, like some of Mendelssohn's symphonies and much of his choral music, make extensive use of Lutheran chorales as motivic elements; in spirit they clearly follow in the footsteps of JS Bach. Here, Jos van der Kooy plays the mighty organ of the Grote Kerk in Haarlem - an impressive beast, long the largest organ in the world, and known to have been played by Mendelssohn himself.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC
This pairing of Mendelssohn's two Piano Trios from the Florestan Trio combines a deeply-felt lyricism with a lightness of touch (respecting among other things the sheer quietness of the dynamics) -enabling the graceful side of these works to come through. Pianist Susan Tomes is particularly excellent.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC
David Smith - Head of Digital
