"I cannot imagine how these performances could be bettered."

"The Australian-Icelandic Nomos Duo ... plays Mendelssohn's three Violin Sonatas as well as a series of shorter pieces in properly fresh and powerful interpretations..."

("Good, but with reservations")

"These generous, intelligent performances show them to advantage. Good recordings too, helping the violin a little, but giving a reasonably realistic sound-picture."

"An inventive disc of significant but little known works of a romantic master."

"The Nomos Duo comprises an Australian violinist and an Icelandic pianist. Though both make music with other ensembles, they have been playing together since 1993 and, on the evidence of this disc have forged a most successful partnership.

Of the three sonatas recorded here only one was allotted an opus number by Mendelssohn. Indeed, the later F Major sonata was not published until 1953 when Yehudi Menuhin rescued it from obscurity. Quite why the piece should have been withheld is unclear for it is a sparkling creation. The author of the notes suggests that it prefigures the E Minor Violin Concerto: it reminded me also of the effervescent Octet

The Sonata, Op.4 is less light-hearted (it is, after all written in the minor) but it too is an attractive and fresh piece and it receives a committed performance here. So does the earliest of the sonatas, the F Major of 1820 although I must say I found the material here less interesting by comparison with the other two sonatas. The subject of the Presto finale is uncannily similar to the corresponding movement of the later F Major sonata...

The performances by the Nomos Duo are lively and enjoyable. ...the sonatas certainly will be of interest to lovers of [Mendelssohn's] music who need have no reservations about the performances offered here."

"The performances of these early pieces have a suitably light touch, the two instruments beautifully integrated in rhythm and sound quality. ...certainly a place to begin exploring some less well-known Mendelssohn."