Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Sonatas, Ops. 6, 105, + 106/Rondo Capriccioso

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Frederic Chiu's is one of only two sets of Mendelssohn's piano sonatas currently available. Despite some late opus numbers, these are early works from Mendelssohn's teens. Op. 105, written when the composer was only 13, is the least interesting, but none of these is major Mendelssohn. Still, the two later sonatas will appeal to Mendelssohn-lovers, especially if they are starved for new discoveries. Chiu, whose playing I have sometimes found precious, finds the right tone for dealing with this music, which he plays with imagination and respect. And his version of the Rondo capriccioso, a nice encore, is a dazzler. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Sonata In E Major, Op. 6: I Allegretto con espressione
Sonata In E Major, Op. 6: II Tempo di Menuetto
Sonata In E Major, Op. 6: III Adagio e senza tempo
Sonata In E Major, Op. 6: IV Molto Allegro e Vivace
Sonata In G Minor, Op. 105: I Allegro
Sonata In G Minor, Op. 105: II Adagio (Cantabile e lento)
Sonata In G Minor, Op. 105: III Presto
Sonata In B-Flat Major, Op. 106: I Allegro Vivace
Sonata In B-Flat Major, Op. 106: II Scherzo: Allegro non troppo
Sonata In B-Flat Major, Op. 106: III Andante quasi Allegretto
Sonata In B-Flat Major, Op. 106: IV Allegro moderato
Rondo Capriccioso In E Major, Op. 14: Andante; Presto

Amazon.com

Frederic Chiu's is one of only two sets of Mendelssohn's piano sonatas currently available. Despite some late opus numbers, these are early works from Mendelssohn's teens. Op. 105, written when the composer was only 13, is the least interesting, but none of these is major Mendelssohn. Still, the two later sonatas will appeal to Mendelssohn-lovers, especially if they are starved for new discoveries. Chiu, whose playing I have sometimes found precious, finds the right tone for dealing with this music, which he plays with imagination and respect. And his version of the Rondo capriccioso, a nice encore, is a dazzler. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Strongly Endorsed.......2001-11-14

The Julliard-trained Chiu created a sensation by his elimination from an early round of the Van Cliburn Competition in Texas where he was expected to finish in the medals. His choice of repertoire did not appeal to the jury apparently. The same thing happened to Pogorelich at the Chopin in 1980, though his detractors may have been on to something; he has developed into an annoyingly willful pianist.

Chiu is his own man too, but like Glenn Gould, his keyboard insights are bolstered by good scholarship. Harmonia Mundi has trusted Chiu with the liner notes to each of his releases, and he has responded with succinct, engaging essays. It's nice to have an occasional "word from the artist"; it dispels the suspicion that they are just thoroughbreds of dexterity, incapable of articulation away from the instrument. I hope he keeps it up.

Mendelssohn's innate fluency seems tailored to Chiu's delicacy and control. The familiar Rondo capriccioso is breathtaking; the phrasing and dynamics remain pliable even at the highest speeds. From what I've heard, Chiu has a future in Scarlatti. We need someone to add to the Horowitz legacy of brilliant, plastic pianism. The sonatas here aren't just filler, either. They are patterned after Beethoven's but with a more objective eye in their approach to drama. After a hard day of living one's own "Pathetique" there is nothing wrong with a little gentility. Tres nifty!

A Lack of Musical Architecture Indeed...........2001-07-11

Unlike the reviewer below, I believe that Frederic Chiu was wisely shown the exit after the second round of the Van Cliburn competition. Certainly his technical powers as a pianist are undeniable, but a thinking musician who allows the music to speak naturally without disruptive and individualistic statements he is not. As is sadly the case with many young performers these days, we are first made aware of Chiu's abilities and only afterward are we allowed to hear the beauty of Mendelssohn's music - and beautiful music it is. Anyone who has heard these works in the hands of a great musician (like Perahia) will hear at once the chasm that stands between such selfless interpretation and the land of Chiu. Menham Pressler said at the competition, "I want to meet another lover of music, I don't want to meet another player." Perhaps this disc is the best explanation for Chiu's failure in Fort Worth - buy it if you want to hear him and not Mendelssohn.

Oh, those dudes in Fort Worth..........2001-01-13

While of a different temperament and less excentric, Frederic Chiu's pianism has quite some similarities with that of Glenn Gould. A pianist he greatly admires. This disc is another showcase of what he can do with some of the lesser known pieces of the repertoire. Like in a previous recording of pieces by Rossini, Chiu gives a very clear and pure performance of the music. He keeps the compositions within the limits of their possibilities, and does not try to overblow their proportions. The result is an interpretation that show Mendelsohn's admiration for and debt to Beethoven without being overbearing or sarcastic. This music is simply highly enjoyable and deserves a much wider audience than it currently gets. Chiu's pianism is of a deceptive simplicity, but don't be fooled. The recording is direct and of Harmonia Mundi's common high quality. I really wish, that those judges at the Van Cliburn competition had been paying attention a little better.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Wonderlust-Live [Import] [Live]

Cello Sonatas Op 1

Cut You Loose!

Visions of a New World [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Vol. VII: My Usual Way

City High

Come Away With Me [Enhanced] [Extra tracks] [Import] [Limited Edition]

De Wert: Madrigaux - Madrigals

Doc and the Boys/Live and Pickin' [Live]

Best of Ballads & Blues [Import]

Cabin Fever

Complete 60's Instrumental [Import]

Chill House, Vol. 2 [Import]

Ambience / Soundtrack For Christian Living / Flute

Quiet Now: Night Song