How many of you mofos love this piece?
It’s so incredible to me that a 16 yr old could compose this (even if he was Mendelssohn). In fact, I’ve always wondered why Mendelssohn is only ranked equal with Mozart as a prodigy not ahead of him?
Did Mozart produce anything like the Octet or Midsummer Night Dream overture as a 16, 17 yr old?
Btw, what are everyone’s favourite versions of the Octet?
I have only 4 recordings of it:
Janacek/Smetana Quartets (2 versions)
Heifetz et al
Marlboro Quartet
I think my fav would be either the later Janacek/Smetana (1968) or the Heifetz.
Are there any other versions I should look into?
Did the Juilliard Quartet ever record it?
Btw, I’m happy to post any of these versions if people want them.
I’ve seen Mendy ranked ahead of Mozart on child prodigy levels - I think Mozart’s masterpieces start around the 9th concerto which was written at 21.
Saint Saens too - All the Beethoven Sonatas at 10 and something freakish about opera’s which I can’t remember.
Don’t know the Octet that well but LOVE Midsummer Nights Dream and the cmin trio although that’s somewhat later.
The Octet really is an amazing work. I have a rec by the Prazak and Kocian quartets. I think it’s my favourite. The Smetana / Janacek rec is amazing as well. Emerson does a pretty great job too.
I like the Emerson quartet, I’ll look into that version and the other you’ve recommended.
Incidentally, I’ve been listening a lot to the Mendy Fantasy by Grinberg recently, and I was thinking that this would be an excellent Richter piece.
Do you know if he ever played it?
He did not. Nikolai Petrov did a pretty good version of it though… Cherkassky also played it a bunch. No other really famous people made recs that I’m aware of though…
what do you guys think of mendelssohn’s double concerto for piano and violin? he wrote that when he was 14! it’s also one of my favorite pieces of his. the a minor piano concerto he wrote when he was 13 isn’t bad, either. the 2 double piano concertos from when he was 15 are certainly decent, too. certainly better than mozart’s early piano concertos (up to 9).
not a big fan of the octet, but i fucking love the fantasy. played that a few years ago, and it was a lot of fun.
I don’t think I’ve heard the piano and violin double concerto.
Yeah the fantasy is great, I’m adding it to my summer rep list.
Too bad Richter didn’t play it.
I think Mendelssohn is pretty underrated in general.