The Mendelssohns are Going Vinyl

I have noticed over the recent months that there has been somewhat of a growing trend towards returning to vinyl long-playing (LP) discs for more satisfying acoustics. At my advanced age, my hearing is not as sensitive as it used to be; and, as a result, I am more than content with “digital listening.” If I wish to listen to every acoustic nuance, I am more than happy to seek it at concerts and recitals (due, in no small part, to such offerings being walking distance from where I live)!

Cover of the album being discussed (from its Amazon.com Web page)

Nevertheless, I feel it worth informing those preferring analog that the Takács Quartet album of string quartets by both Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn will be available on a Hyperion LP one week from today. For those content with digital, Amazon.com has created a Web page for this album (which will probably include a hyperlink for the LP once it is available). It begins with Fanny’s quartet in E-flat major, followed by two of Felix’s seven quartets in reverse chronological order. The first of these is his final effort in the genre, Op. Posth. 80 (numbered the sixth) in F minor. This is followed at the other extreme by the Opus 13 (second) quartet in A minor.

I must confess that my reaction to this release is one of “compare and contrast.” Back when I was writing for Examiner.com in 2013, I reviewed a release by Virgin Classics of Quatuor ébène performing exactly the same selections. Mind you, over a decade has passed since then; so “side-by-side” listening may not be very fair, particularly since that album provided a “first contact” experience of Fanny’s quartet. Nevertheless, there was definitely a degree of freshness in encountering that quartet again. However, while there was no shortage of energy in the Takács performances of her brother’s music, I am afraid that both of the selections came across as “business as usual.”

While I appreciate the “brother-and-sister” approach to the Mendelssohn repertoire, I must confess that I still feel that a little bit of Felix is usually enough!