Bryan Hesford /
SKU: BR.SON-442
ISBN 9790004803509. 10 x 12.5 inches.
This volume contains three reworkings and orchestrations of religious works by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy which were originally set for smaller ensembles (solo voices, four-part chorus and organ). They were composed at different times and for different occasions, two of them as commissions. The anthem ,,Why, o Lord, delay forever MWV A 19 was originally the sacred vocal piece MWV B 33, published in England in 1841 with the additional title ,,[…] The Thirteenth Psalm, and in Germany in the same year as ,,Lass, o Herr, mich Hilfe finden with the title ,,Drei geistliche Lieder which was composed at the suggestion of the English literature and music lover Charles B. Broadley who also provided the paraphrase of the psalm text. After Mendelssohn had refused an initial request by Broadley to furnish the anthem post festum with an organ prelude, the composer did not want to turn down a second request to orchestrate the work and he even expanded the existing material with a lengthy closing fugue involving additional trumpets and timpani. The ,,Ave Maria MWV B 19 was written in connection with Mendelssohn's appointment as municipal music director, a position which at the same time included the responsibility for the musical organization of church services. The instrumentation of the work with an accompaniment of two clarinets and two bassoons as well as low strings was due to the fact that the organ in Dusseldorf's principal church St. Lambertus was out of order for an extended period of time, and Mendelssohn considered this solution explicitly only as a surrogate for the organ should there be none. A further psalm paraphrase in English, this time by William Bartholomew, of the hymn ,,Hear my prayer MWV B 49 was set to music in early 1844; the orchestration of the organ part commissioned by the distinguished Dublin musician Joseph Robinson was not completed until 1847 so that the premiere finally only took place after Mendelssohn's death. In the further course of the century ,,Hear my prayer would, particularly in the version with organ accompaniment, come to enjoy great popularity in Great Britain and Ireland.
SKU: BR.SON-431
ISBN 9790004803103. 10 x 12.5 inches.
A mystifying question of versions surrounds the Italian: right after the world premiere in London, Mendelssohn is unsatisfied with his symphony. Since he no longer has the score with him, he writes it down afresh (except for the opening movement), but stops at three quarters of the way. In the meantime, trusted experts weigh in with their views. Fanny Hensel writes to her brother: I dont like the change in the first melody at all; why did you make it? Nevertheless, Felix continues to busy himself with the first movement, but ultimately finds no more time for it and leaves it primarily in the form of the complete early version of 1833, which is published posthumously and remains, to this day, a standard repertoire piece in all concert halls. The revised torso, in turn, was long ignored. It was published in this volume, yet it is clear that the three movements of the incomplete final version of 1834 were from the composers viewpoint not at all ready for publication, seeing that Mendelssohn had never critically reviewed them after having penned them.
SKU: BR.EB-8032
ISBN 9790004174357. 9 x 12 inches.
In the last year of his life, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) composed the six charming Children's Pieces, op. 72 (EB 8317). In contrast to the collections of children's pieces (by Schumann or Reger, for example), these have remained relatively unknown. Admittedly, however, they here and there demand technical and musical accomplishments that are beyond those to be expexted of beginners and belong to an intermediate stage of instruction. In the present edition, minor re-arrangements and cuts (in op. 72 no. 6) are intended to make the music more accessible to a child's understanding. The Songs without Words presented here are musically more demanding. From the total of 48 pieces, I have selected three slow compositions in which simple, beautiful melodie lines are supported by chorale-like piano textures. True performance of these pieces requires clean polyphonic chord playing and a cultivated pedal technique. The selection of pieces in this edition will, it is hoped, stimulate renewed interest in the piano music of Mendelssohn, which is so neglected today. Heinz Walter, Salzburg, Spring 1979A Selection from 6 Children's Pieces (Op. 72) and Songs without Words.
SKU: CA.410505
ISBN 9790007093822.
The three oratorios, the chorale cantatas, the large psalm settings, Lobgesang and other Mendelssohn sacred works with orchestra are famous, last but not least, on account of the variety and beauty of their choral settings. In the 19th century it was already common practice to arrange suitable movements for choir and organ, and to perform them in concert. This new choral collection makes available a wide selection and variety of movements especially suited for sacred services. All of the choral movements are based on biblical texts (most of them from the Psalter), on chorale settings or liturgical texts - these offer a wide range of uses during the church yearand within the framework of the liturgy. Score available separately - see item CA.410500.
SKU: BR.OB-5623-23
ISBN 9790004348758. 10 x 12.5 inches.
Certainly Robert Schumann was right when he stated soon after Beethoven's death that the latter's conception of the symphony as a great, universal confessional work was hardly to be continued by the next generation of composers. He saw a solution to the dilemma in the creation of autonomous concert overtures, such as those written, for instance, by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Four of his overtures were printed during his lifetime, and others were extant in manuscript, though frequently and successfully performed by the composer. Belonging to the latter group is the Trumpet Overture, begun in 1825 and performed three times between 1828 und 1833 on prominent occasions in Berlin, Dusseldorf, and London.First printing posthumously 1851 (Rietz).
SKU: BR.OB-5623-19
ISBN 9790004348741. 10 x 12.5 inches.
