1822 was the year in which Mendelssohn’s genius truly blossomed. The young composer took up the challenge of the large-scale forms and thereby found his own unique musical language in the form of the concerto and the string symphony. It was merely a case of forging these forms into his own using his singular combination of classical models and romantic expression. The thirteen year old composer thus created the Concerto for Violin in D Minor and the String Symphony No. 8 in D Major. The Capriccio in E Minor, which he composed later in his life, demonstrates the full maturity and mastery of this great composer. Alberto Lysy and his Camerata Lysy Gstaad, who appear here in their third recording for Claves, provide these works with a refreshing spontaneity.