Ronald Brautigam, pianoforte Pleyel grand; Die Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens
3.9
6 Review
5 Star
89
4 Star
11
3 Star
0
2 Star
0
1 Star
0
Scritto da:
Scritto da: Simon B
Mendelssohn's Concertos for Pub Piano and Orchestra
Whilst these are excellent performances, they are also a perfect example of why "original instruments " can be both a blessing and a curse. There were numerous points through this disc when the sheer absurdity of the sound coming from the meticulously reconstructed Pleyel style fortepiano made me want to burst out laughing. Had Mendelssohn been confronted with a modern grand piano, he would probably have fainted with delight at its accuracy of tone and its ability to retain its tuning: why we should have gone to the enormous trouble of recreating an instrument which sounds like a pub piano is beyond me. It is possible to have works played on an original instrument or reproduction which has character and distinction: Sophie-Mayuko Vetter's harp-like fortepiano in Beethoven's 1784 Piano Concerto in E flat, or Stephen Hough playing the admittedly later 1856 Erard grand in Mendelssohn's 1st piano concerto, are both cases in point. That Ronald Brautigam is still able to give such nuanced and convincing performances on such an unpromising instrument is a near-miracle. Conversely- and it will seem a little perverse to say so I suppose (but nonetheless true), the playing, on original/historically accurate instruments, of the Kolner Akademie under Michael Alexander Willens, provides a beautiful rounded and warm sound. There are no hard metallic edges here: unlike the fragile and tinny keyboard tone, natural strings really do seem to produce a mellow tone. The whole ensemble has a melded, organic, and surprisingly beefy quality. Quite delightful. Hence my five stars, largely down to performance and recording. But please leave the old joanna in the saloon bar, thank you.
This is a wonderful resume of all Mendelssons works for piano and orchestra. Brautigam has a wonderful feel for this reconstruction of a piano Mendlssohn would use at the time. The use of gut strings by the Orchestra gives added warmth. This replaces a recorded I have from 1993 by Howard Shelley. Well worth buying with over 74 minutes of music.
