Mendelssohn: Piano Sextet, Op. 110; Piano Quartet No. 1

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Both of these works are very early teenage Mendelssohn. Anything by Mendelssohn with an opus number above 80 was first published after his death, and Op. 111 was salvaged from his surviving manuscripts. It's actually a fairly interesting piece with unusual scoring including a double bass. The Op. 1 Quartet isn't as successful; the young pianist seems to have been carried away with his own playing and doesn't give the strings as much to do as the piano, making for decidedly unbalanced scoring. The performances are good enough to give you an idea of the music if you want one, although it's possible to play the scores with more refinement. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Uneven quality but great value.......2007-04-30

Brilliant Classics has found a niche with their extremely low-price multi-disc collections of the work of a single composer or performer. The Bach, Mozart and Chopin Complete Editions are legitimately considered to be artistic and economical triumphs. But the Masterworks series are more uneven. Currently available from Amazon France at about a buck per CD, they're still a bargain for those interested in quickly building a music library. But it's worth keeping a few things in mind. Unlike the Bach and Mozart Editions, these are not always historically informed performances. In this Mendelssohn set, the Hanover Band puts in a cameo (in Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), but most of the ensembles use modern instruments, techniques and proportions. This doesn't always work out, as in the case of the ponderously heavy recordings of the String Symphonies by an apparently full complement of Gewandhausorchester Leipzig strings (Mendelssohn likely wrote these early works for a much smaller group). The caliber of the performances varies too, ranging from good to poor, and from marquis musicians such as Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau to a few Dutch who-dats. The chamber musicians generally acquit themselves well (though the Octet recording is marred by an engineering flaw in the last movement, distortion, at least on my copy). But the symphonies suffer from some substandard performances, such as the Italian Symphony's live recording with not only audience noise but also ensemble flaws such as a distracting clarinet squeak in the first movement's recapitulation. Another strike is the lack of program notes. Brilliant's Complete Editions provide a booklet or CD-ROM with program notes, but here you'll need to do your own research.

Despite these shortcomings, this set is still good value (at least at Amazon France's current price of 31 Euros). And it's a fine way to become acquainted with Mendelssohn's music.

A superb collection of Mendelssohn.......2007-03-24

Let me preface this by saying that most of these works were not new to me - I own many other Mendelssohn CDs and have enjoyed his compositions for some time now. Also, this set is available much cheaper elsewhere, particularly from European retailers.
The symphonies are well-performed. 'Reformation' is an inspired live recording. The 12 string symphonies, written in Mendelssohn's youth, are also included. The concertos are exceptional - the violin concerto is as good as you'll find anywhere. The oratorios Elijah and Paulus are included, as well as the complete chamber works and a diverse assortment of choral works. The last few discs include the Lied ohne worte, the epic organ sonatas, and excellent renditions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Fingal's Cave. While there are a few sketchy performances in the choral and chamber works, the performances and recordings are generally very solid, and the body of work couldn't be better.

Mendelssohn: Piano Sextet, Op. 110; Piano Quartet No. 1

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Wow!
What a Bargain!

Mendelssohn: Piano Sextet, Op. 110; Piano Quartet No. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Mendelssohn: Piano Quartets Nos. 2 and 3
Mendelssohn: Complete Works for Violin and Piano
Mendelssohn: Piano Works Vol. 1
Mendelssohn: Piano Works, Vol.5
Mendelssohn: Piano Works Volume 3

ASIN: B00000141C
Release Date: 1994-06-28

Tracks:

Sextet In D Major For Violin, Two Violas, Cello, Double Bass And Piano, Op.110: Allegro vivace
Sextet In D Major For Violin, Two Violas, Cello, Double Bass And Piano, Op.110: Adagio
Sextet In D Major For Violin, Two Violas, Cello, Double Bass And Piano, Op.110: Menuetto: Agitato
Sextet In D Major For Violin, Two Violas, Cello, Double Bass And Piano, Op.110: Allegro vivace
Piano Quartet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Allegro vivace
Piano Quartet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Adagio
Piano Quartet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Scherzo: Presto
Piano Quartet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Allegro moderato

Amazon.com

Both of these works are very early teenage Mendelssohn. Anything by Mendelssohn with an opus number above 80 was first published after his death, and Op. 111 was salvaged from his surviving manuscripts. It's actually a fairly interesting piece with unusual scoring including a double bass. The Op. 1 Quartet isn't as successful; the young pianist seems to have been carried away with his own playing and doesn't give the strings as much to do as the piano, making for decidedly unbalanced scoring. The performances are good enough to give you an idea of the music if you want one, although it's possible to play the scores with more refinement. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2006-06-17

I stumbled upon this CD while looking for some Mendelssohn to feed my classical collection. The Piano Sextet is breathtaking. I lack the musical vocabulary to describe in technical terms why all four movements of this work are so entertaining. Instead, I can analogize it to Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony or his Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66 (at least the version performed by Tal and Groethuysen)-- two works that come at you like a steam locomotive, sweeping you up and taking you on a ride you do not want to end. This work alone-- which is almost thirty minutes long-- is worth twice the price of the CD. (The Piano Quartet is ok, but more often than not I listen only to the Sextet.)

The Bartholdy Piano Quartet and the musicians who sit in for the recording are, to my untrained but not unsophisticated ear, flawless, playing with the precision and transparency of a Breguet watch with a see through back that makes listening to great small ensembles such a pleasure. No doubt, for most purchasers, they will have the added thrill of listening to a great piece that they have in all likelihood never heard before.

Buy this CD!

What a Bargain!.......2000-11-11

Both the performance and the recording quality are very nice on this disc. The quality is on par with many more expensive labels who do not even have this delightful piece currently available. Highly recommended!

Mendelssohn: Piano Quartet No. 1 - Sextet, Op. 110

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Mendelssohn: Piano Quartet No. 1 - Sextet, Op. 110

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000NCXGLA

Product Description

Tracks 1. - 4. are "Sextet in D Major for Violin, two Violas, Sello, Double Bass and Piano, Op. 110. Tracks 5. - 8. are Piano Quartet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 1.

Average customer rating:

Mendelssohn: Piano Sextet, Op. 110; Piano Quartet No. 1

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Sextet In D Major For Violin, Two Violas, Cello, Double Bass And Piano, Op.110: Allegro vivace
Sextet In D Major For Violin, Two Violas, Cello, Double Bass And Piano, Op.110: Adagio
Sextet In D Major For Violin, Two Violas, Cello, Double Bass And Piano, Op.110: Menuetto: Agitato
Sextet In D Major For Violin, Two Violas, Cello, Double Bass And Piano, Op.110: Allegro vivace
Piano Quartet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Allegro vivace
Piano Quartet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Adagio
Piano Quartet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Scherzo: Presto
Piano Quartet No.1 In C Minor, Op.1: Allegro moderato

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