Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Piano music was a mainstay of Mendelssohn's output from childhood onwards, although in this anniversary year, record companies have paid relatively little attention to it. There are even fewer recitals recorded on pianos built by Mendelssohn's contemporaries, so this one from fortepianist Riko Fukuda is most welcome. After studying oboe and piano in a Japanese conservatory, she left to study in The Netherlands under Stanley Hoogland at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Specializing in the fortepiano, she founded the Nepomuk Fortepiano Quintet with which she has made several recordings.

For her Mendelssohn recital, she has chosen pianos from the Edwin Beunk Collection in the Netherlands; a Graf of 1835 and an Erard of 1837, which have been lovingly restored, well-prepared, tuned and voiced. The Graf has transparency of tone and good attack which makes for precise articulation and is excellent for contrapuntal music, while the Erard has a rich singing tone and a more dramatic range of tone colours. Both instruments show the wooden-framed fortepiano characteristic of varied and almost orchestral tone colours throughout their ranges, compared with the relative tonal uniformity of modern pianos.

In recording terms, the sound of both fortepianos is strikingly realistic, the piano being placed at an ideal distance so that mechanical noises never intrude, and a subtly resonant and sympathetic acoustic allows the tone to fully develop in their tonal and dynamic ranges. Stereo DSD balance is excellent, while the 5.0 Multi-Channel adds the subtle but effective three-dimensional touch of realism that can make so much difference to enjoyment of chamber music.

This is a desirable Mendelssohn disc, with Fukuda showing her affinity for period instruments and making one want to hear more from her. If you have doubts about clattery or wobbly sounding old pianos, this recording could be the one which convinces you otherwise.