Concert: American Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Mendelssohn Piano Concerto in G minor
Woodstock Times, October 3, 1996
“with nimble fingers and a clear idea of what she wishes to project…
Golan carefully phrased Mendelssohn’s expansive melodic writing and with dynamic variation, turned in an expressive performance.”
Felix Mendelssohn’s first piano concerto, Op. 25 was next on the program, with Jeanne Golan, soloist. Like Bach, Brahms and many other composers, Mendelssohn was a virtuoso keyboard player and improviser. All five of his works for piano and orchestra demonstrate this with brilliant piano writing. Golan approaches the first of the three concertos — with its moody first movement, tranquil slow movement and, as she says, a champagne-cork-popping last movement — with nimble fingers and a clear idea of what she wishes to project.
With Leon Botstein conducting the orchestral accompaniment, Golan carefully phrased Mendelssohn’s expansive melodic writing and with dynamic variation, turned in an expressive performance. She seemed to have a large fan club of young people in the audience, who stood and cheered at the end of the piece. That, in itself, was heartening.
by Howard Vogel