The piano music of Mendelssohn.

[Rutradelusasa]

I'm meeting now the wonderful world of the piano music by him. I bought a two-volumes edition (from Dover, pretty well done, btw) and am enjoying every page of it.
Any cds (out of the usual Songs without words realm) recommended? Any pieces (idem) recommended? What do you people think of his piano music?

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"Wer ein holdes weib errugen..."

[Sorrano]

I've always been delighted, specifically with the Songs Without Words. Indeed, Mendelssohn was a gifted composer!

Originally posted by Rutradelusasa:
I'm meeting now the wonderful world of the piano music by him. I bought a two-volumes edition (from Dover, pretty well done, btw) and am enjoying every page of it.
Any cds (out of the usual Songs without words realm) recommended? Any pieces (idem) recommended? What do you people think of his piano music?

[Peter]

Originally posted by Sorrano:
I've always been delighted, specifically with the Songs Without Words. Indeed, Mendelssohn was a gifted composer!

Nice to read some positive comments about poor old Mendelssohn who is all too often dismissed by academics and the public alike. Yet he wrote some wonderful music and for all those who seem to think it impossible for the young Mozart to write anything of value, Mendelssohn was even more gifted a prodigy writing such incredibly mature and assured music as the octet at 16 and the overture to a 'Midsummer night's dream' at 17. As for the piano music I recommend (aside from the songs without words) Prelude & Fugue, Op. 35, No.1, Variations serieuses, Op. 54 and the Rondo capriccioso, Op. 14.


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'Man know thyself'



[This message has been edited by Peter (edited 02-23-2006).]

[Rutradelusasa]

Originally posted by Peter:
Nice to read some positive comments about poor old Mendelssohn who is all too often dismissed by academics and the public alike. Yet he wrote some wonderful music and for all those who seem to think it impossible for the young Mozart to write anything of value, Mendelssohn was even more gifted a prodigy writing such incredibly mature and assured music as the octet at 16 and the overture to a 'Midsummer night's dream' at 17. As for the piano music I recommend (aside from the songs without words) Prelude & Fugue, Op. 35, No.1, Variations serieuses, Op. 54 and the Rondo capriccioso, Op. 14.

I've been playing maniacally (spelling?) a piece he wrote when he was 16, Cappricio in F # minor. D*mn!, the boy could write!

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"Wer ein holdes weib errugen..."

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Peter:
Nice to read some positive comments about poor old Mendelssohn who is all too often dismissed by academics and the public alike. Yet he wrote some wonderful music and for all those who seem to think it impossible for the young Mozart to write anything of value, Mendelssohn was even more gifted a prodigy writing such incredibly mature and assured music as the octet at 16 and the overture to a 'Midsummer night's dream' at 17. As for the piano music I recommend (aside from the songs without words) Prelude & Fugue, Op. 35, No.1, Variations serieuses, Op. 54 and the Rondo capriccioso, Op. 14.

Don't forget all those youthful string symphonies!! They are great music, too!

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
Nice to read some positive comments about poor old Mendelssohn who is all too often dismissed by academics and the public alike. Yet he wrote some wonderful music and for all those who seem to think it impossible for the young Mozart to write anything of value, Mendelssohn was even more gifted a prodigy writing such incredibly mature and assured music as the octet at 16 and the overture to a 'Midsummer night's dream' at 17. As for the piano music I recommend (aside from the songs without words) Prelude & Fugue, Op. 35, No.1, Variations serieuses, Op. 54 and the Rondo capriccioso, Op. 14.

A genuine prodigy at 16 but by the time he was 20 or so...? Just one of the crowd. The limited scope of his development I find dissappointing. By coincidence I listened to his quartet op44 just a couple of days ago which kind of sums up the situation.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Rutradelusasa]

Originally posted by Rod:
A genuine prodigy at 16 but by the time he was 20 or so...? Just one of the crowd. The limited scope of his development I find dissappointing. By coincidence I listened to his quartet op44 just a couple of days ago which kind of sums up the situation.

One of your crowd.
For me he was always wonderful to the last note.



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"Wer ein holdes weib errugen..."

[Sorrano]

Last night I caught the first movement of his Violin Concerto in d minor and thought it absolutely delightful! another one of his youthful works.

[Nightklavier]

I definitely second Peter's recommendations: The Prelude & Fugue Op. 35, Variations serieuses and the Rondo capriccioso. But how about the Piano Sonata Op. 6? To me it sounds like a late Beethoven piano sonata (which is a very good thing of course).

Also, check out Liszt's transcriptions of Mendelssohn's songs. It's not purely Mendelssohn, but the essence of the composer's melody is there.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Sorrano:
Last night I caught the first movement of his Violin Concerto in d minor and thought it absolutely delightful! another one of his youthful works.

I might agree if I hadn't heard Beethoven's - the King of all violin concertos to which all others bend the knee!

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
I might agree if I hadn't heard Beethoven's - the King of all violin concertos to which all others bend the knee!

Beethoven's concerto I agree is the finest, but this doesn't mean others are NOT fine.

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'Man know thyself'

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Rod:
I might agree if I hadn't heard Beethoven's - the King of all violin concertos to which all others bend the knee!

Have you even heard the Mendelssohn? And I am NOT talking about the later e minor concerto.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Sorrano:
Have you even heard the Mendelssohn? And I am NOT talking about the later e minor concerto.

Yes, I've heard everything. Actually if anything I prefer it to his later, better known effort which I have an authentic instrument recording and still can barely tollerate. The D minor has a quasi-baroque feel to my ears, though still bearing the Mendelssohnian tendancy towards superficiality here and there. A very good effort for 13 year old but I just think M lost his direction musically as he got older. Beethoven wasn't exactly an old seer when he wrote his own concerto, 36 or so, and M never wrote a better piece of music than this to my mind (even though a good recording of B's concerto is a rare thing indeed).

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[HaydnFan]

I agree with you here, Rod.

[gprengel]

Lots of Mendelsohn's works have been mentioned here, but the best chamber music he wrote to me are by far his incredible stringquartetts in a-minor (from his youth) and f-minor (written shortly before he died). I mentioned them before but unfortuneately nobody ever responded. I assume that nobody here knows them and I can only encourage you to get them. They have such a power and deep emotion which only can be compared to Beethoven and the late Schubert!!! His other quartetts are not that great, I agree, but these two are a "must-have". To those who would like to have an mp3 file of a movement just let me know