Mendelssohn

Jan Lisiecki was still only 23 when he released this, his fifth album for Deutsche Grammophon. It focuses on two of Mendelssohn’s concertos. Piano Concerto No. 1 was written for himself to play when he was about Lisiecki’s age. He must have been a fantastic pianist and Lisiecki proves a splendidly poetic, vibrant advocate. Piano Concerto No. 2, which drew praise from Schumann, has terrific power, and Lisiecki and the thrillingly energetic Orpheus Chamber Orchestra do it proud, treating it as chamber music on a big scale. Alongside the two concertos, Lisiecki gives us a pair of Mendelssohn’s finest solo works, which he plays with characteristic elegance and refinement.