Gidon Kremer, Martha Argerich - Mendelssohn: Concerto for Violin and Piano, Violin Concerto (1989)

These two youthful works of Mendelssohn's have only recently been rediscovered, and they put forth a fascinating glimpse into his early musical development. More importantly, however, they're just good music. Anyone who doubts the "child prodigy" status Mendelssohn has been given by historians should listen to these two works; how else could a fourteen-year old write music of this depth and virtuosity? The opening movements of both works are intricate and tightly constructed, employing to great effect the fugal technique that Mendelssohn mastered like no other musician, save maybe J.S. Bach. The middle movements are possessed of that airy transparency that characterizes so many Mendelssohn andantes; at the same time, however, they employ deceptively difficult virtuosic passages of the highest order. The finales of both pieces pull out all the stops, with racing tempi, scale passages and runs like very few others I've ever heard, and fatalistic codas firmly entrenched in the minor. Kremer and Argerich are up to the task, with an absolute mastery of the material and a particular emphasis on clarity; this is truly a "hear-every-note" CD recording. In addition, they manage to capture exquisitely the mood of each movement, varying their technique accordingly. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra backs them up with a tight, powerful, expansive performance. This is one of those CDs that ensures you'll never need another recording of the songs it contains, because it is, by far, the best. If you haven't discovered these early Mendelssohn masterpieces, this is definitely the CD to get to do it. If you're already familiar with them, listen to this CD for a new interpretation that will, in all likelihood, cause you to throw away the old recordings and keep this CD as the definitive performances of these two works.