MENDELSSOHN: Concertos for Two Pianos, No. 1 in E, No. 2 in A-Flat – Joshua Pierce. Piano/ Dorothy Jonas, piano/ Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra/ Bystrik Rezucha – MSR 1330, 70:27 [Distr. by Albany] ****:
There is probably a reason why you don’t hear these works too often—they are early Mendelssohn (not that that’s bad, for he matured very early) but are also showpieces designed to display the talents of the composer and sister Fanny (No. 1) or Ignaz Moscheles (No. 2). They are amazingly inventive but also feature their share of what sometimes feels like interminable parallel thirds that can grate on the nerves even though the idea of such virtuosic display coming to a 14 or 15-year-old prodigy is quite remarkable. I have one other copy of these pieces (by separate artists) and cannot say that either one lights my fire.
This one by Joshua Pierce and Dorothy Jonas, a duo that has been playing for some time to wide acclaim is quite the sparkler, as good as I have heard, even though I can imagine more together strings than that found in the Slovak orchestra. I don’t want to be too hard—my comparison is based on the likes of the old Philadelphians, a gold standard for those of us raised on them, and a good example of what is possible in a string sections. But generally the orchestra plays very well, certainly well enough for this music, and the pianist add a robust degree of flashiness that suits it well.
This is not great music, and no one is pretending it is, even the excellent note writer of this release who gives a thorough overview of Mendelssohn and his world. But it does serve up a nice plate of those things that were soon to come in the composer’s output, and a definite hour of exciting pianism. Every Mendelssohn collection worth its salt needs these works, and this is as fine a place to start as I have heard. If there is strong competition for this disc it would come from Marielle Labèque and Katia Labèque with Semyon Bychkov and the Philharmonia on Philips (the E-major only) or Roland Pöntinen and Love Derwinger on BIS, but not by much if any. This is an enjoyable release of some esoteric music that will be a worthy addition to your catalog.
— Steven Ritter
