This Mendelssohn collection, part of ASV’s Platinum Series, couples the ever-popular Violin Concerto with two of the composer’s relatively lesser-known chamber works. Xue-Wei’s combination of light, bright violin tone, quick tempos, and impetuous phrasing results in a performance of considerable momentum and energy that nonetheless finds much tenderness in the lyrical second movement. However, the finale suffers from a commonplace busyness, as if Xue-Wei were running on virtuoso autopilot. Ivor Bolton and the London Philharmonic match the soloist’s energy with their own, and ASV’s recording presents Xue-Wei’s instrument in an unusually realistic (not artificially close) balance with the orchestra.
Mendelssohn’s early Mozart-influenced Piano Quintet No. 2 (1822) displays a youthful precociousness that’s quite fascinating as long as you keep in mind that he was only 14 when he wrote it, while the 1829 String Quartet No. 1 later reveals traces of Mendelssohn’s mature style, with its juxtaposition of dramatic and lyrical elements. It also features the clever second-movement Canzonetta, one of the biggest hits of Mendelssohn’s career. The Schubert Ensemble and the Vellinger Quartet offer convincing and enjoyable performances, recorded in spacious, well balanced sound.
