I always thought this work was very popular with me, however this is the first time it appears in my Blog this year, this is such a common coupling, and each Concerto works so well with the other, the genius of Mendelssohn shines through, in one of his greatest works, i love the way it's both innocent / simple, and yet there's something more darker / complex about it, probably because it's in E Minor, at first it may seem a sunny work, but really there's an underlining sadness throughout, it's irresistible.
Uto Ughi is Italian, a strange name i guess, he's now 68, and he made this recording in 1982, the recording is only in two long tracks for each work, hmmm strange, it's good for things to be cued individually, the front and back booklet / insert are lovely [photos by Clive Barda], nice and colourful with interesting backgrounds, the RCA logos are especially colourful.
It was the first movement that was so full of flair and excitement, Ughi / Pretre take it slightly fast [nearly 13 minutes], and it gives off a serious momentum of virtuosity, straight from the go Mendelssohn brings in the Violin, there's no Mozart type orchestral introduction, the main theme is one of sadness, a beautiful tune that the Violin plays through with the orchestra [0:00-0:59], and then the orchestra copy without the violin [0:59-1:29], after only three minutes a more tranquil section appears, not unlike a slow movement [2:53-4:09], and Ughi gets in some very tender playing, there's still this air of sadness, yet it's sweeter [in G Major], .
Here's Julia Fischer playing the first movement of the Mendelssohn on YouTube.
Here's Julia Fischer playing the first movement of the Mendelssohn on YouTube.
