Mendelssohn: Concerto per violino e orchestra in mi minore, Op. 6; Sinfonia No. 4 “Italiana”, Op. 90

This CD offers a beautiful live performance of the Concerto for violin and orchestra op. 64 from Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy with the Italian violinist Christian Joseph Saccon and the prestigious Orchestra of Padua and Veneto conducted by Maffeo Scarpis. Saccon trained at the great Venetian school of Luigi Ferro, then continued his studies by attending masterclasses with the most important European masters: Tibor Varga, Corrado Romano, Franco Gulli, Uto Ughi and Giuliano Carmignola. He plays a Marino Capicchioni violin from 1942 that belonged to Maestro Salvatore Accardo.

It was the famous violinist Ferdinand David who commissioned the Concerto for violin and orchestra op. 64 from Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The first performance took place at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig on 13 March 1845 with David as soloist. The performance was conducted by the Danish composer Niels Gade as Mendelssohn was in poor health at the time. The concerto, performed again in October of that year, with David as soloist under the baton of Mendelssohn himself, was a resounding success. Since then, the concerto has become a staple in concert programmes. In June 1846, the concerto was performed at the Philharmonic Society in London. Mendelssohn personally selected the Genoese violinist Camillo Sivori, a pupil of Paganini, as soloist. On 3 October 1847, it was performed by a young protege of Mendelssohn, the young Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, who would go on to become a favourite collaborator of Brahms. The concerto is an elegant and skilfully crafted composition, where brilliance and buoyancy conceal the work's constructive genius.

The Orchestra of Padua and Veneto conducted by Maffeo Scarpis interprets also the Symphony n.4 "Italiana" op.90 by Mendelssohn with fresh vigor in a brilliant live performance. It is surely one of the most celebrated compositions by Mendelssohn.

The CD is completed by a precious bonus track with the pieces played by Saccon as an encore of the live concert: Capricci n.11 and n.24 by Niccolo Paganini, in which Saccon show all his virtuoso skills.