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Mendelssohn - Lieder ohne Worte, Books 1 - 4

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Performers
Instruments
Periods
Label
Catalogue numberBIS-1982 SACD
Release date2012-10-01
Discs1
Orig. sample rate96000Hz
Total time69:19

Music Web International: Recording of the Month April 2013: "A superb recital"; Klassik Heute 10/10/10 March 2013; Klassik.com 5/4/5/4 Stars, February 2013.

If claims could be made for a certain composer to have invented a genre single-handedly, Felix Mendelssohn would be a strong candidate with his ‘Songs without Words’. The term itself can be traced back to 1828, and a letter in which Fanny Mendelssohn mention having received a ‘song without words’ as a birthday present from her brother.
Although Mendelssohn continued an existing tradition of writing short lyrical pieces for the piano, the concept of ‘wordless songs’ was new, and indeed the great majority of the Lieder ohne Worte display some sort of song-like structure (melody in the upper voice, an accom­paniment that is predominantly chordal or arpeggiated, ABA-form).
Immediately popular with a wide audience, and soon a staple ingredient in domestic music-making all over Europe, the Lieder ohne Worte were also highly regarded by fellow composers, who imitated the style of Mendelssohn’s pieces, and sometimes adopted his title for them as well. One such admirer was Robert Schumann, who was captivated by the ‘Duett’ (Op. 38, No. 6), hearing in it: ‘lovers… conversing quietly, intimate­ly and confidently’. (The piece was in fact written for Cécile Jeanrenaud, who would later become Mendelssohn’s wife.)
Gathered on this disc are the first four books of the eight published collections of Lieder ohne Worte (two of which appeared posthumously) and an appendix consisting of five individual pieces which Mendelssohn never included in any collection but which nevertheless belong to the genre.
One of today’s leading exponents on the fortepiano, Ronald Brautigam has released complete sets of the piano music by Mozart and Haydn, and is currently recording a highly regarded series of the solo piano works by Beethoven. For the present disc he has chosen to play on a replica by the renowned maker Paul McNulty of a Pleyel instrument built in 1830, and thus contemporary with the music performed on it.
 
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$ 13.80
 
Extra material for download
 
 
  Composer: Mendelssohn (-Bartholdy), Felix
  Sechs Lieder ohne Worte, Op.19b (1832–33) 13:21
01 I. E major, Andante con moto 02:35 $ 0.54 USD
02 II. A minor, Andante espressivo 02:18 $ 0.48 USD
03 III. A major, Molto Allegro e vivace [‘Jägerlied’] 02:07 $ 0.44 USD
04 IV. A major, Moderato 01:52 $ 0.39 USD
05 V. F sharp minor, Piano agitato 02:34 $ 0.54 USD
06 VI. G minor, Andante sostenuto, ‘Venetianisches
Gondellied’
01:55 $ 0.40 USD
 
  Sechs Lieder ohne Worte, Op.30 (1835) 14:54
07 I. E flat major, Andante espressivo 03:34 $ 0.75 USD
08 II. B flat minor, Allegro di molto 01:50 $ 0.39 USD
09 III. E major, Adagio non troppo 01:43 $ 0.36 USD
10 IV. B minor, Agitato e con fuoco 02:30 $ 0.53 USD
11 V. D major, Andante grazioso 02:39 $ 0.56 USD
12 VI. F sharp minor, Allegretto tranquillo ‘Venetianisches
Gondellied’
02:38 $ 0.55 USD
 
  Sechs Lieder ohne Worte, Op.38 (1837) 13:00
13 I. E flat major, Con moto 02:00 $ 0.42 USD
14 II. C minor, Allegro non troppo 01:54 $ 0.40 USD
15 III. E major, Presto e molto vivace 01:51 $ 0.39 USD
16 IV. A major, Andante 02:12 $ 0.46 USD
17 V. A minor, Agitato 02:08 $ 0.45 USD
18 VI. A flat major, Andante con moto, ‘Duett’ 02:55 $ 0.61 USD
 
  Sechs Lieder ohne Worte, Op.53 (1841) 14:27
19 I. A flat major, Andante con moto 02:43 $ 0.57 USD
20 II. E flat major, Allegro non troppo 02:25 $ 0.51 USD
21 III. G minor, Presto agitato 02:17 $ 0.48 USD
22 IV. F major, Adagio 02:03 $ 0.43 USD
23 V. A minor, Allegro con fuoco, ‘Volkslied’ 02:36 $ 0.55 USD
24 VI. A major, Molto Allegro vivace 02:23 $ 0.50 USD
 
  Individual ‘Lieder ohne Worte’ 10:02
25 E flat major, Espressivo & Allegro, MWV U 68 (1828) 02:06 $ 0.44 USD
26 A major, Andante, MWV U 76 (1830) 01:09 $ 0.24 USD
27 A minor, Andante, early version of Op.19b No.2 (1830) 02:07 $ 0.44 USD
28 F sharp minor, Allegro molto, MWV U 124 (1836) 02:10 $ 0.46 USD
29 A major, [Allegretto], MWV U 138 (1837) 02:30 $ 0.53 USD
 
  Album total 69:19
ComposerMendelssohn (-Bartholdy), Felix
PianoBrautigam, Ronald

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