Mendelssohn, that great conjuror of 19th century music, has always been someone whose work has been greatly enjoyed by the British public, and this volume of solo piano works should make a most welcome addition to his repertoire. This elegant offering from Howard Shelley, an acclaimed master of early Romantic piano music, is part of a broader aim involving six volumes of Mendelssohn’s piano works and it gets us off to a grand start. Often overlooked as a piano virtuoso, Mendelssohn preferred fine form and melody over virtuosity for the sake of it, and covering Op 5, 6 & 7 as well as 19b this album is an excellent introduction for the other volumes.
