MENDELSSOHN: Introducing Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto - Frank Michael Erben, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Kurt Masur (Full Performance and Documentary on DVD)

Discovering Masterpieces of Classical Music - Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Frank Michael Erben violin
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Kurt Masur

At an attractive mid-range price, this 20 part DVD series brings famous masterpieces closer to the viewer through first class concert broadcasts and an introductory documentary. These audio-visual concert guides to highlights of classical music allow the listener to enjoy the best of music from the Baroque period up to the present day in an entirely new way.
After Dvorak’s Symphony Nr. 9 “From the New World” and Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony, follows Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. Frank Michael Erben, first violinist of the famous Gewandhaus Quartet, joins the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig under Kurt Masur in a recording made in May 1997.
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) was the orchestra’s first conductor and the Gewandhaus Orchestra – proud of its long history – is an appropriate choice for an introduction to a work by the composer. With his famous Violin Concerto in E minor the composer forged a link between Classicism and Romanticism. Frank Michael Erben and the musicologist Armin Koch reveal how the composer combined the best of both worlds and created a musically rich and virtuoso piece that remains a popular favourite with audiences until today.
The DVD series features eminent orchestras, acclaimed experts, renowned soloists and outstanding conductors. Each introductory film is clearly designed and provides plenty of information. Examples from the musical score help the viewer to understand the structure of the work. The film traces the birthplaces of the composers and locations relevant to the composition. Combined with historic film material, works of art and original manuscripts, it allows the viewer to embark on a journey back to the time and place in which the work was written and informs him about the composer’s life while providing a complete introduction to the work.

Felix Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor