Search - Felix [1] Mendelssohn, Louis Lortie, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec :: Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos 1 & 2; Symphony No. 5 "Reformation"

Not Up to the Competition

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 10/09/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Louis Lortie is a pianist whose recorded performances I have generally admired over the years, e.g. Louis Lortie Plays Ravel's Complete Works for Solo Piano. And yet this issue containing the two Mendelssohn piano concertos and his Fifth Symphony ('Reformation') with Lortie playing the solo parts and conducting the Orchestre Symphonique de Québéc simply comes nowhere near meeting the rather stiff competition from other recorded performances of the piano concertos with Serkin Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Violin Concerto or Perahia Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos or of the Reformation Symphony (I like Abbado's account but it is only available in a complete set of the symphonies) Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies; 7 Overtures. Although Lortie is a marvelous technician at the piano, with his breakneck tempos he pushes his luck in the fastest portions of the two concerti and one senses he almost comes a cropper more than once. His orchestra has some real problems with ensemble and intonation in any number of spots. The high points for these performances are the two slow movements of the concerti and in the Andante movement and Finale of the Symphony. These marvelous moments are not enough, however, to make the disc recommendable.



Scott Morrison"

Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos 1 & 2; Symphony No. 5 "Reformat

E. S. Wilks | Hockessin, DE USA | 10/19/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This ATMA disc contains Mendelssohn's two Piano Concertos and his Fifth Symphony. The piano playing is highly competent and the Symphony is well performed. My own recording of the two concertos is by Serkin and the Philadelphia Orchestra (AAD) and this new one, with Louis Lortie, manages to be faster than the Serkin. The symphony is also considerably faster than my recording by the London Symphony Orchestra. In the case of the Symphony, I like it just as well. I have a personal view on how Mendelssohn's piano music is played by most artists - too fast. I love the intricate passage work in the piano parts (e.g. in the D minor trio). Most recordings (e.g. Heifetz; Beaux Arts Trio; Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson) take it so fast that the piano part is sometimes a blur.

In this recording by the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, I felt that the piano part was well articulated, but I still have a slight preference for the Serkin version.

The brisker tempos in the Symphony do not detract from the performance in any way. Overall, this is a fine recording and I would recommend it for anyone who does not have a recording of the works.

Ted Wilks"