Beethoven and Mendelssohn's stringquartetts

[gprengel]

I always liked Felix Mendelssohn but just recently I absolutely began to fall in love with him, reading his biography, discovering neglected pearls among his works... I am exploring his music especially his wonderful sacred music (Lauda Sion!,...) and also his string quartetts, and here especially his a-minor and f-minor quartetts really struck me. I was so surprised about the Beethovian influence in these works which I have not found in any other chamber music. The quartett in a minor is from 1827 when Beethoven died and when Mendelssohn was just 18 years old . At that time Beethoven's late quartetts were hardly understood by his contempories, but 18 year old Mendelssohn studied them intensively which can be clearly seen in this quartett which has so many similiarities to Beethoven's op. 132, especially in the first and last movement. It is unbelievable to me how an 18 year old boy could bring up such a wonderful and deep work - only 2 years after Beethoven wrote his quartett! Then at the end of his life he wrote the marvellous quartett in f minor with a sense of desperation and Beethoven-like power which is in quite a contrast to what we generally see in Mendelssohn.

Also his neglected 5th symphony in d-minor and piano Trio in c-minor are just fantastic!

I would like to recommend you to get to know these works if you don't know them already! What do you as Beethoven lovers think of Mendellsohn?

Regards

Gerd

[Uniqor]

I listened to his octet sometime ago, and I thought it was very easy and full of appreciation towards life's past. It's not futurists nor ambitious, just sounds very nice to the ear.

[gprengel]

the octett is ok, but it can't compare in any way with these two quartetts I mentioned.
Gerd

[Peter]

Originally posted by Uniqor:
I listened to his octet sometime ago, and I thought it was very easy and full of appreciation towards life's past. It's not futurists nor ambitious, just sounds very nice to the ear.

Yes but this amazing octet was written by a 16 year old boy! I love the scherzo and finale especially.

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'Man know thyself'

[Peter]

Originally posted by gprengel:
the octett is ok, but it can't compare in any way with these two quartetts I mentioned.
Gerd

I love Mendelssohn's music but also admit to knowing mainly the well known pieces. I think you are right to point out his unusual (at the time) understanding and appreciation of Beethoven's last quartets. His music to me is so perfect in its charm and grace, which is to many its greatest weakness - admittedly one can tire of the feminine cadences that pepper his music, but I don't think we always need to be shocked and challenged and at times the safe reassuring Mendelssohn is a wonderful antedote to a troubled world.

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'Man know thyself'

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by gprengel:
Also Mendelssohn's neglected 5th symphony in d-minor and piano Trio in c-minor are just fantastic!

I see we have similiar tastes in Mendelssohn! His "Reformation" Symphony with its ingenious use of Luther's "Ein Feste Burg" has always been a favorite of mine. I never understood why the C-minor trio never achieved the notoriety of the D-minor trio.


Hofrat

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Hofrat:
I see we have similiar tastes in Mendelssohn! His "Reformation" Symphony with its ingenious use of Luther's "Ein Feste Burg" has always been a favorite of mine. I never understood why the C-minor trio never achieved the notoriety of the D-minor trio.


Hofrat

The Reformation Symphony is also a favorite of mine. The 1st and 2nd symphonies are not to be ignored, either, particularly the 2nd with it's cantata 4th movement.

[Joy]

I love Mendelssohn too. On NPR last night Libor Pesek and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra performed the Hebrides Overture and a discussion on this was very interesting. Here's an excerpt. "The Inner Hebrides Islands of Scotland are home to Fingal's Cave, a spectacular cliff formation on the uninhabited island of Staffa. At 150 feet long, 46 feet wide and 72 feet high, the cave's cathedral-like dimensions create musical echoes and sounds that have awed visitors for centuries.
When composer Felix Mendelssohn visited Fingal's in 1829, he was so inspired that he began writing music on the spot. His musical notes later became the Hebrides Overture, often called the Fingal's Cave Overture."
To view the cave click on
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=4661115



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'Truth and beauty joined'

[jdidlock]

BBC Radio Three recently broadcast a complete performance of all Mendelssohn's string quartets.

[jdidlock]

BBC Radio Three recently broadcast a complete performance of all Mendelssohn's string quartets. Oops - sorry, finger trouble!

[This message has been edited by jdidlock (edited 05-24-2005).]

[lvbfanatic]

That FBM Octet... unbelievable... the 4th movement... PRESTO... it compares extremely well to the 3rd movement of Bach's 3rd Brandeburg Concerto... and the last movement of that Mozart String Quartet K.387...

Would anybody know anything by Beethoven that compares well to this particular bit of FBM? The only thing that comes to me seems to be that magnificent flurry of cellos and bass viols erupting in the 2nd half of the 3rd movement of LVB's 5th symphony.

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A Calm Sea and A Prosperous Voyage

[This message has been edited by lvbfanatic (edited 05-24-2005).]

[Peter]

Originally posted by lvbfanatic:
That FBM Octet... unbelievable... the 4th movement... PRESTO... it compares extremely well to the 3rd movement of Bach's 3rd Brandeburg Concerto... and the last movement of that Mozart String Quartet K.387...

Would anybody know anything by Beethoven that compares well to this particular bit of FBM? The only thing that comes to me seems to be that magnificent flurry of cellos and bass viols erupting in the 2nd half of the 3rd movement of LVB's 5th symphony.

I wouldn't say compares well is the right way of putting it, but how about the finale of Razumovsky quartet no.3?

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'Man know thyself'

[lvbfanatic]

Originally posted by Peter:
...but how about the finale of Razumovsky quartet no.3?

Oh Right On!!!... Thanks!!!



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A Calm Sea and A Prosperous Voyage