Search - Felix [1] Mendelssohn, Benjamin Frith :: Mendelssohn: Piano Works, Vol. 2

Preludes and Etudes with beautiful melodies.

taka(Japanese | Tokyo, Japan | 01/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, because I have not deep knowledge about piano music genre and do not play piano, I want to express the thinking as I want without detailed things.



Though it might not be natural way, the chance that I met the songs was demo playing of digital piano sold in a music store. Because I was a amateur music fan, did not care about the artificial sounds without accoustic instrument. Naturaly, I was moved the beautiful melodies of Mendelssohrn neverthless Etudes.



I tend to love music with minor chords rather than with major chords. In such tendency, especially love his minor chords songs. After that, I have known that he was active as a musician at Romantic era like Chopin and so on. His songs have the beautiful and sentimental melodies on minor chords songs especially. His a little free style that was expressed in the songs included his messages or expressions as he want is just Romantic sounds.



Especially, I love Prelude in B minor. People may think that the song is just a Prelude at first listening. But the more I listen to the song, the more I feel that the song is not just Prelude, beautiful melodies. The melancholy alppegio tell my mind his incredible expression power directly. The dismay and high speed passage is like Chopin's Etudes though both quality is different. In addition to that, the melodies of low bass sounds is great.



Even if you are not deep piano music fans, this cd may be splendid album for you like me.



Thank you for reading poor English."

More shining examples of Mendelssohn's piano music

Hexameron | 02/08/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Naxos started off well with its first volume of Mendelssohn's piano music, and it continues the trend with this recording. With the exception of the Variations serieuses and Sonata Op. 6, I hadn't heard any of these works before. What surprised me were the Op. 104 preludes and etudes. They are quite exceptional little gems from Mendelssohn's piano opus. Benjamin Frith's playing seems especially enthusiastic and energetic with regards to the Op. 104. Overall, Frith does an excellent job with all of these. His Variations serieuses and Op. 6 Sonata are, in my opinion, not nearly as exciting and passionate as Murray Perahia's. But Frith makes up for it with being one of the few to record the smaller and less famous pieces in addition to these two gigantic compositions.



The Op. 104 is the main reason I appreciate this disc. After hearing the Preludes from this opus, I'm quite astounded and perplexed at Mendelssohn's refusal to make a full set of 24 preludes like Chopin or Heller. Mendelssohn, who is so keen and proficient with writing compact smaller pieces (hence his Songs Without Words), would have really made a good compilation of Preludes, just from hearing these three. I agree with the reviewer below me that the Prelude in B minor is simply an excellent virtuosic piece in the style of Chopin. Mendelssohn's taste for delicacy and understated showmanship are all present. But the other two are also worth praise; the B flat major has its moments of Romantic verve and Classical elegance. The Prelude in D sounds like a tune from Mozart's Don Giovanni with descending scales embellishing its attractive harmonies. The three etudes from this Op. 104 are also remarkable. The Etude in B flat minor is full of lush repeating arpeggios and a beautiful melody in the middle; I might suggest its reminiscence of Thalberg. The A minor etude, with its Perpetuum mobilesque character, is spellbinding as well. These are definitely under the radar and deserve to be revived.



I must now address Frith's Variations serieuses and Sonata Op. 6. On the whole he gives an effulgent performance for both, preferring a slower pace and strong lyricism rather than emphasis on brilliance. I think this is a mistake. Perahia's interpretations are much more appealing as he has the necessary brio to make these works glow with passion. Frith's last 4 variations from the Op. 54 are somewhat sedate; I simply wish he would let loose some fire from his fingertips. Mendelssohn's music doesn't have to be perpetually reserved all the time. In the Sonata, Frith also reveals his propensity for staccato which undermines some of the rich harmonies that sound so powerful when glued together with pedaling. The last movement of the Sonata is where this is most obvious. Honestly, though, there aren't enough flaws in his execution that would force me to blast Frith any further. He just has a different interpretation of the Sonata, choosing a strictly Classical point of view. As a composition, the Sonata itself is phenomenal. Anyone who likes Beethoven would love it. It's unnecessary to analyze each movement, but I find each one of an unusual high caliber; it is definitely one of Mendelssohn's best piano works he ever wrote.



The remaining pieces here are less noteworthy. The Kinderstuck Op. 72 for instance... Eh, these kinds of pieces do not capture my attention. I'll admit that the Andante sostenuto is charming but since they were written for children, these tend to be frivolous miniatures. The Gondellied in A major is a little better but all too brief, while the one-minute Scherzo in B minor has a demonic little rhythm with explosive moments. They are still rather mediocre and shouldn't stimulate multiple listenings.



Bottom line: The Op. 104 is outstanding and I think many will be glad to discover these. For those familiar with the Variations serieuses and the Op. 6 Sonata, I don't think Frith will impress you; Perahia and Arrau's are better. But for those curious to explore Mendelssohn's piano works, this disc is actually a fantastic collection of great music, some of Mendelssohn's best actually: the Variations and the Sonata. Bear in mind you're also getting some mediocre miniatures, but since the Op. 104 are so rare and unique, I think it's worth buying this CD just for them."