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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Stephen Pritchard

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto; String Octet CD review – thrilling intensity

Liza Ferschtman.
‘Singing solo line’: Liza Ferschtman. Photograph: Marco Borggreve

Oh, not another Mendelssohn violin concerto recording, I hear you cry. Well, yes, but wait: this one is worth exploring. These Dutch musicians treat the piece as a chamber work, the cut-down forces of the Het Gelders Orkest giving light and airy support to Liza Ferschtman’s carefully judged, singing solo line. It works beautifully, particularly in the dancing central andante. Ferschtman changes gear for the Octet, Op 20, driving the inexhaustible exuberance of this youthful piece with thrilling intensity, her fellow string players responding with similar dash and verve. Recommended.

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