Sony gives Martin Stadtfeld more prominent billing than the composer, whom they somewhat perversely refer to by his baptismal name of Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Anyhow, Mendelssohn’s sparkling old warhorse gets off to a spanking start in a live recording from last year’s Rheingau Festival. The same orchestra and conductor made one of the great recordings of the G minor Concerto in 1974 with Murray Perahia (Sony, 7/75^R, 11/87^R). Very soon one is aware that the voltage of the newcomer, though lively enough, is well below that of the electrifying CBS recording. Too frequently, the orchestra is given undue prominence against Stadtfeld’s Steinway, and the spine resolutely fails to tingle.

For the solo (studio) items Stadtfeld turns to a mellow 1861 Blüthner with few advantages other than uniqueness. In the Variations sérieuses, the emphasis is on the sérieuse with scant attention to Mendelssohn’s espressivo and sforzando markings. The throwaway grace notes of Var 4 become its dominant feature and there is no sense of the increasing agitation in Var 15 that leads to the allegro vivace of Var 16. Alfred Cortot’s celebrated recording may have been made over 75 years ago but has a trajectory and lightness of spirit that Martin Stadtfeld, talented as he is, fails to capture.

Sadly, directly after the Variations comes the selection of Songs Without Words with perhaps the most stolid ‘Spring Song’ I can remember. While Barenboim’s clipped delivery might not be everyone’s cup of tea (DG), at least it has tenderness and charm. And as for the incomparable Ignaz Friedman in the two Op 38 numbers…well, frankly all pianists could listen and learn.