There are strong grounds for taking the
view that the best of Mendelssohn is to be found in the chamber
music. Anyone wanting to put this contention to the proof could
do no better than investigate the string quartets and specifically
this attractive disc, since it contains performances conveying
such skill and understanding.
Of the two works featured here, the relatively
early A minor Quartet is perhaps the finer, though both find
the composer at the height of his powers. And what powers they
are, for the young Mendelssohn remains the world's greatest-ever
creative prodigy, surpassing even Mozart. In their performance
the Pro Arte play admirably and are captured in pleasing recorded
sound. For comparison, the Vellinger
Quartet on ASV (CD QS 6236) play immaculately also, but
perhaps with greater expressive freedom. At the same time their
attention to detail in matters of dynamic nuance brings much
reward too: this is quartet playing of the highest order.
In either performance, in the A minor Quartet
Mendelssohn scores on every count. The melodic invention is
inspired, but the formal command is strong and the overall vision
is hugely imaginative. Nowhere is this more so than in the finale’s
closing phase, when we move into unexpected regions, in which
the music’s vision is nothing short of extraordinary. Anyone
who thinks that Mendelssohn has a restricted range of expression
should listen to this.
The three quartets
of Mendelssohn's Op. 44 date from 1837-38, and they all continue
the classical tradition of four movements. However, in each case
he opts for the less conventional placing of the slow movement
third. If anything the D major Quartet, Op. 44 No. 1, has more
of those characteristic quicksilver rhythms than the other music
on this CD. Be that as it may, this is an entertaining performance,
though the recorded sound has less bloom than in Op. 13. On balance
the performance by the Henschel
Quartet on Arte Nova is a least a match for the Pro Arte (who
also include Op. 44 No. 2 and the complete Op. 81), but preferences
may come down to couplings, since either version is perfectly
satisfactory.
The
posthumous collection of four pieces collected as Op. 81 was
not intended as a unified composition and was composed over
a span of many years. In fact the Fugue of 1827 came very much
first, although the opus number suggests it dates from the last
years of Mendelssohn’s life. The Pro Arte Quartet perform it
with accuracy and with feeling.
Terry Barfoot
