Mendelssohn's youthful string symphonies have almost become repertory items with the growth of so many small groups, some working with period instruments, some without conductor, some using conventional modern instruments and conductor. Concerto Cologne use string instruments of all periods, and no conductor, though they are rehearsed by their leader, Werner Ehrhardt.
The outcome here is three performances (or strictly, two and a bit) that respond with fresh, keen playing and a pleasantly warm recorded sound. The tempos are justly chosen, with the players touching off the liveliness of the so-called Menuetto of Symphony No. 8: this is really one of the scherzos for which the boy Mendelssohn had a natural instinct, so early do they appear in his music for various combinations. The B minor Adagio of this symphony has an unusual scoring in that it drops the violins completely. Whether or not Mendelssohn was interested in the example of Mehul's Uthal, the popular violin-less Ossian opera which reached Berlin as early as 1808, he writes inventively and attractively with hauntingly dark textures extending across the whole ensemble. Symphony No. 9 is another enjoyable work, with another agreeable Scherzo whose trio makes Swiss noises (yodellings and a ranz-des-vaches) in acknowledgement of the family's recent Swiss journey. Symphony No. 10 consists of an Adagio and a faster movement, what happened to the rest is not known. An attractive disc of some highly engaging music.'