David Geringas / Ian Fountain

Mendelssohn: Cello Piano Works

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Mendelssohn: Cello Piano Works Review

by Mike D. Brownell

With much music-making taking place in the Mendelssohn household, young Felix was exposed to a broad diversity of styles, composers, and instruments. Although he was clearly a pianist at heart, his brother Paul somewhat grudgingly played the piano. This was to be Felix's first introduction to the instrument and was sufficient to spawn some much beloved compositions. The first of these was the Op. 17 Variations concertantes and later the Op. 45 B flat major Sonata. By 1841, Mendelssohn began composing for the cello again, but this time not for his brother. The result was the brilliant, sunny D major Sonata, a work filled with Mendelssohn's trademark mercurial writing. Performing these works alongside some Piatti transcriptions of selected Songs Without Words is Lithuanian-born cellist David Geringas and pianist Ian Fountain. The disc opens with the D major Sonata, a curious choice as this piece seems to have the most energetic, uplifting ending and would seem better suited for the album's finale. Regardless of program order, Geringas and Fountain form a splendid duo that yields some dazzling, vigorous, detail-oriented playing. Balance between the two instruments is ideal and the two engage in a virtual game of cat and mouse racing about trying to catch each other through the brisk tempos. Geringas' playing is nicely in tune and his tone is focused and projecting. He easily changes gears to the more lyrical Songs Without Words and with a lush, beautifully connected legato sound.

Track Listing

Sample		Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op. 58
	1	1. Allegro assai vivace Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	07:46	Amazon
	2	2. Allegretto scherzando Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	05:07	Amazon
	3	3. Adagio Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	04:28	Amazon
	4	4. Molto Allegro e vivace Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	06:43	Amazon
	5	Albumblatt (Album Leaf) in E minor, Op. 117 Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	02:12	Amazon
	6	Lied ohne Worte (Song Without Words), Op. 109 Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	03:51	Amazon
Sonata No. 1 in B flat major, Op. 45
	7	1. Allegro vivace Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	08:39	Amazon
	8	2. Andante Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	05:12	Amazon
	9	3. Allegro assai Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	06:36	Amazon
	10	Lieder ohne Worte, Andante con moto (No. 1) Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	02:41	Amazon
	11	Lieder ohne Worte, Venetianisches Gondellied, Andante con moto (No. 29) Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	02:05	Amazon
	12	Lieder ohne Worte, Andante espressivo (No. 25) Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	01:51	Amazon
	13	Lieder ohne Worte, Allegro non troppo (No. 20) Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	02:14	Amazon
	14	Lieder ohne Worte, Allegretto grazioso (No. 30) Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	01:53	Amazon
	15	Lieder ohne Worte, Venetianisches Gondellied, Allegretto tranquillo (No. 12) Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	02:38	Amazon
	16	Variations concertantes, Op. 17 Felix Mendelssohn	Ian Fountain / David Geringas	08:24	Amazon