Hummel - Weber - Mendelssohn

Three rarely encountered works of the piano-and-orchestra repertoire receive splendid advocacy from German classical pianist Matthias Kirschnereit, a fine player with a strong musical personality. Hummel’s *Piano Concerto No. 2* (1816) looks to the future and almost suggests the direction Chopin would take. It demands, and duly receives here, great virtuosity. Weber’s *Konzertstück* (1821) is a classic of the piano-and-orchestra repertoire. It’s packed full of thrills, and Kirschnereit doesn’t disappoint. Mendelssohn’s *Capriccio brillant* (1832) was written after a meeting with Chopin and, like the other works here, is a testament to just how well the composer understood the power of his instrument.