FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY Piano Concerto No. 2 op.40. Symphony No.1 op.11 Kristian Bezuidenhout, Freiburger Barockorchester, Pablo Heras-Casado

Basking in the light
Mendelssohn’s first symphonic work scored for full orchestra, the Symphony op. 11 in C minor paved the way for even greater examples of the genre he was soon to produce. The concert overture Die schöne Melusine and the sparkling Piano Concerto No. 2 rely on the type of orchestration and harmonic language which are best served when played on period instruments, as heard here. Devoid of the atmosphere of Romantic doom and gloom, nearly every page of both scores is marked by an exuberant cheerfulness, youthful drive, and irrepressible energy.