Javier Perianes – Mendelssohn: Songs without Words (2014) [eClassical FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

“If Javier Perianes was setting out to show the full range of Mendelssohn’s genius as a writer for the piano, he has certainly succeeded with this disc…Perianes’s singing right hand moulds the melodies with great affection…[he] has not only impeccable technique but the sharpest of ears for textures and for nuances at the lower end of the dynamic range.” -BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2014

“There’s nothing small-scale about his conception of this music and, where need be, climaxes are bold…He can charm without trying to, thanks to a haloed sound well caught by Harmonia Mundi’s engineers…There’s great clarity to Perianes’s fugal textures and handled.” -Gramophone Magazine, December 2014

“a player of rare talent, whose particular strengths suit Mendelssohn very well … Perianes releases considerable power…his depth of tone combining with an all too human resonance to make a necessary statement, not just a dazzling one. What a thrilling sound he creates in the final pages, with a superbly resonant bass, although he always adds shading so it doesn’t feel like an onslaught.” -International Record Review, January 2015

“here is romantic musical poetry, rivalling Chopin’s at times, which Perianes taps into with sensitivity, affection and unaffected artistry, bringing out the picturesque nature of each one … When something niftier and more-agitated is needed, Perianes is quick-witted and agile, never forced or pushy. This is wonderful music, beautifully played … Perianes here makes a wholly positive impression on behalf of himself as a devoted musician and reveals the fullest fraternity with Mendelssohn’s muse.” -classicalsource.com, March 2015

Tracklist:
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
1. Andante con variazioni op.82 7’54
Lieder ohne Worte
2. op.19/1. Andante con moto 3’08
3. op.19/6 “Venetianisches Gondellied”. Andante sostenuto 2’08
4. op.30/6 “Venetianisches Gondellied”. Allegretto tranquillo 3’06
5. op.38/6 “Duetto”. Andante con moto 3’09
6. Rondo capriccioso op.14 6’37
Lieder ohne Worte
7. op.53/1. Andante con moto 3’38
8. op.53/3. Presto agitato 2’52
9. op.62/5 “Venetianisches Gondellied”. Andante con moto 2’50
10. op.67/1. Andante 2’40
11. op.67/2. Allegro leggiero 2’20
12. op.67/3. Andante tranquillo 2’55
13. op.67/6. Allegretto non troppo 2’23
Präludium und Fuge e-Moll op.35/1
14. I. Präludium. Allegro con fuoco 2’10
15. II. Fuga. Andante espressivo 6’36
Lieder ohne Worte
16. op.85/4. Andante sostenuto 2’43
17. op.120/1. Andante, un poco agitato 2’43
18. op.102/4. Andante un poco agitato 2’20
19. op.102/6. Andante 2’37
20. 17 Variations sérieuses op.54 11’57