Review: ‘The Mendelssohn Legacy’ by Trio Zadig

By Laurence Vittes | From the January/February 2026 issue of Strings

The Paris-based Trio Zadig’s updated formation—with American violinist Miclen LaiPang playing the 1707 “Castleman” Stradivari violin and joining Parisians Marc Girard Garcia on cello and pianist Guillaume Vincent—offers beautifully shaped views of both Fanny and Felix in this Mendelssohn set for Naïve. Guided by a youthfully romantic sensibility, the trio plays with a splendid narrative flow that keeps both siblings’ trios vivid and inspiring.

Felix’s C minor, Op. 66—one of Mendelssohn’s most emotionally charged works—receives a searching, strongly profiled performance. The first movement’s dramatic surge is shaped with long-breath control, and LaiPang rides the high writing with ease, always within the ensemble’s frame. The Andante glows warmly, the strings’ subtle portamenti recalling an older lineage without mannerism, Garcia’s performance deeply moving. The Scherzo tumbles with palpable joy, and the Finale’s chorale rises with an unforced, authentically human touch. In the more popular, lighter D minor, Op. 49, the Trio brings the same qualities of attention to detail and nuanced phrasing along with a wonderful sense of heartfelt song.

Fanny Mendelssohn’s D minor Trio makes its own kind of impact: structurally assured, emotionally mercurial, rhythmically alive. The opening’s restless weave stays flexible, the slow movement is direct and unaffected, and Vincent’s lead-in to the Finale is sheer poetry.

Felix’s early C minor Trio, written when he was 11 and newly published by Breitkopf & Härtel in Reiner Zimmermann’s edition, is another highlight. Originally for violin, viola, and piano, the Zadig’s transcription feels natural, capturing the work’s endearing, youthful curiosity.

Two brief historical arrangements serve as ideal encores: Felix’s Nocturne from
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is simply gorgeous, its horn-like line suspended in a soft, glowing hush, while one of his Songs Without Words offers a quiet lyrical release. Recorded in the Bibliothekssaal in Ochsenhausen, the sound is spacious and detailed.

The album is the first in a series of cycles for the group, with Schumann up next, while LaiPang’s upcoming Delos solo album, Deep River, traces his own life’s path from Los Angeles to Paris.