Search - Felix [1] Mendelssohn, Bartholdy Piano Quartet, Pier Narciso Masi :: Mendelssohn: Piano Sextet, Op. 110; Piano Quartet No. 1

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