mendelssohn op.20

eroica quartet 1 0 1 0 1 S E R (1809-1847) Octet, Op.20 world premiere recording of the original 1825 version Octet, Op.20 (1825 version)

1. Allegro molto e vivace [15:57] Eroica Quartet 2. Andante [8:42] Peter Hanson 1 3. Scherzo [4:46] Julia Hanson violin 2 4. Molto allegro e vivace [6:46] Vicci Wardman 1 David Watkin 1 Total playing time [36:15] with Ken Aiso violin 3 Original tempi and movement titles from 1825 version Marcus Barcham-Stevens violin 4 Oliver Wilson viola 2 Robin Michael cello 2

‘… refreshingly impetuous’ The New York Times

‘… heroic, questing, unsettling and magnificent performances’ BBC Music magazine, February 2001, Chamber disc of the month Felix Mendelssohn: Octet, Op.20 The Octet was first published some years following its composition in 1832, at which 'He whom the gods love dies young' point Mendelssohn made substantial revisions, cutting out many passages and rewriting Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn are others. However, some of the most examples par excellence of this aphorism: extraordinary and radical music was cut by the the God-given gift burning so brightly but slightly older composer. The published version eclipsed before its time. It can be argued that of 1832 is somewhat leaner (over 100 bars Mendelssohn’s powers were on the wane by are cut overall) and in some ways appears the time of his death at thirty-eight, whereas more professional, but is it the better overall Mozart and Schubert were still developing for these changes? The conclusion to that when they were taken prematurely. In the question is, of course, for the listener to earlier part of the lives of these composers, decide but it seems important given its iconic however, Mendelssohn reigned supreme. status that people can finally hear this earliest There is no work in the oeuvres of Mozart version of the Octet written by this precocious or Schubert, by the age of sixteen, to match sixteen-year old. Mendelssohn’s Octet Op.20. In the entire canon of western music the Octet stands The young Felix was brought up in a out as a unique creation. It is in this context comfortable environment where, in common that this recording first is so important. This with most Jewish middle-class families of the substantial work by the teenage prodigy is time, learning and the arts were of vital both well and widely known – or so people importance. He showed himself to be may think. However, this first opportunity prodigiously talented, not only in music, but to hear the original version of the Octet gives is also in drawing, painting and languages. valuable insight into the more extensive Mendelssohn received an all-round high gestation period of the ultimate version of quality education in which all his talents the work in its most commonly-known guise. were carefully nurtured, providing a fertile ground in which the seed of his genius was Mendelssohn’s autograph manuscript of the planted. His first teacher for musical composition original version is dated 15 October 1825 in was Carl Friedrich Zelter and it was through Facsimile of the opening page of the 1825 version of the Mendelssohn’s Octet, Op.20 Berlin. It is clearly a fair copy, beautifully Zelter that he was first introduced to the (manuscript held at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.) written, and is currently housed in the USA’s eminent writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Having previously met Mozart some years

earlier at the age of seven, Goethe was also numbers start with three piano quartets is immediately half the number of bars and cutting some thirty-eight bars (i.e. nineteen to meet the seven-year old Mendelssohn and Op.1-3 from 1822 to 1825, and in 1824 he with further cuts of eighty-seven bars (forty- in the new notation) and supplying eleven bars remarked on the different levels of had written a sextet for violin, two , three and a half in the new notation), the of new material. The original is much more sophistication between the two young cello, and piano Op.111. It was movement is reduced from 733 to 323 bars. interesting in this respect as the usual course composers in a conversation with Zelter: though, apart from his early One might speculate that this was done for of composition would be a development of in E flat of 1823 (Op. posth.), his first for practical purposes; certainly finding suitable the first subject. In fact, the original never “Musical prodigies [...] are probably no longer so rare; but what this little man can do in strings without piano. places for page-turns in the new edition of develops the first subject and the revision extemporizing and playing at sight borders the the Octet proved problematic. Also, of course, has another cut of sixty-one bars (thirty and miraculous, and I could not have believed it possible The basic structure of the Octet is so well the publisher would have saved a significant a half in the new notation) of further at so early an age." known it hardly needs introduction. The amount of paper in every copy of a score along development of the second subject group. "And yet you heard Mozart in his seventh year massive first movement with its changes with a set of eight separate parts. The original The original rather seems to have an at Frankfurt?" said Zelter. from an almost orchestral texture to the has a feeling of unity between the notation obsession with the second subject but "Yes", answered Goethe,” [...] but what your pupil already accomplishes, bears the same relation most intimate is wonderfully of the first and last movements where, in Mendelssohn’s later revisions balances to the Mozart of that time that the cultivated talk of engaging throughout, whilst the second both, the shortest value notes are notated matters out, making the whole development a grown-up person bears to the prattle of a child." movement introduces real pathos into what, as quavers. This may be only psychological much more ‘conventional’. up to that point, is a entirely optimistic work. but it is a loss nevertheless. A further aspect Mendelssohn’s earliest extant composition The scherzo, which has much affinity with is that the ‘con fuoco’ in the new speed There is also a significant change to be found dates from 1820 and, in the succeeding five his score to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, indication doesn't quite convey the urgency in the second movement, which alters the years leading up to the Octet, his composing is the epitome of fleetness and is inspired of the original ‘Allegro molto e vivace’ whole balance of the structure. In both skills saw some meteoric improvements. by the ‘Walpurgisnacht’ episode in Goethe’s potentially resulting in a rather different kind versions the overall sense is of a sonata form Before he was sixteen his considerable Faust. The finale is a tour de force, starting of interpretation. Interpreters of the revised movement, although there is not any output consisted of singspiels, thirteen as a frantic fugato in eight parts and version might well play the opening theme development as such. There is, however, a symphonies for string orchestra, chamber keeping its momentum up to the very end. in quite a lyrical manner, reserving their fuoco recognizable second subject in the relative music, songs, motets, anthems and his first for the loud passages, whereas the original major, which is recapitulated in the tonic symphony for full orchestra. So the Octet The first change Mendelssohn made to his tempo indication encourages a more urgent minor. What is so extraordinary in the revision masterpiece was not exactly born out of original version was in the notation of the approach from the start. is that the first subject is omitted in the the blue but was rather the crowning first movement. In the original the shortest recapitulation. There is a cut of twenty-two achievement of a most extraordinary and value notes were notated as quavers with The most radical change from Mendelssohn’s bars and three newly written to take the rapid development. a speed indication of ‘Allegro molto e vivace’. original version occurs at the start of the music straight into recapitulation of the The revision has the shortest value notes development in the first movement. Here, second subject. Here Mendelssohn appears Neither was the Octet Mendelssohn's first notated as semiquavers with a speed indication the original starts by developing the material to be renewing his predilection for the attempt at chamber music for strings. Apart of ‘Allegro moderato ma con fuoco’. This has that concluded the exposition, while the second subject, which he had expunged from from some early ‘practice’ pieces his opus several ramifications. Firstly, of course, there revision starts by developing the first subject, the first movement. It is certainly a radical

move and produces quite an unusual result. However, the greater balance of the original and the fact that the first subject is so deeply moving means that it is definitely worth hearing for a second time in the recapitulation providing, as a whole, a more satisfying and affecting movement.

The third movement of the original, ‘Scherzo’, is virtually identical with the revision apart from a number of different phrase markings and some altered notes towards the end of the movement in the first cello part. Overall, in the original, the phrasing is much longer over many bars, whereas the slurs in the revision are appreciably shorter, appearing to refer more to particular bowings for the players. The fourth movement, originally marked ‘Molto allegro e vivace’ is changed to ‘Presto’ in the revised version. It is thirty-seven bars shorter in the revision but, as a result, there is no major structural consequence as found in the first two movements.

© 2011 Roy Mowatt

Roy Mowatt is a renowned violinist, specialising in period performance. As part of his activities within The Eroica Quartet music publishing he prepared the performing edition of the original version of Mendelssohn’s Octet, Op.20 ‘The Eroicas attack their music with a kind of lilt, passion and incision that can leave used in this recording, which is available from the mouth gaping … Even long-established groups can shrivel next to the Eroica Quartet.’ Fountayne Editions (FE108). The Times, June 2002 www.fountayneeditions.co.uk Performance practice and nineteenth-century to use the same finger for successive slurred Rather than a century of evolution, there more people are finding inspiration in early editions notes. Also, fingerings for even the most was a watershed which occurred much later recordings and piano rolls of artists long melodic phrases often include harmonics or than many have assumed. In 1921, for dead. These artists – pupils of Liszt, friends Mendelssohn’s friend, the violinist Ferdinand open strings, showing little concern for example, Leopold Auer made a plea for the of Brahms – were totally unencumbered by David (1810-73) was among the earliest to continuous vibrato. Generally speaking, this is selective use of vibrato which would not seem the modern fear of straying away from the publish editions of standard repertoire. The in contrast to today’s prevailing aesthetic. out of place in the Paris Conservatoire Method smallest details of the composer’s intentions. trend which he began produced a great Continuous vibrato is now the norm for string of 1803. He lamented the continuous vibrato In this distant crackly world the ‘spirit’ rules, number of editions during the nineteenth- players and portamento is used only reticently. of his pupils, among whom was Heifetz - who not the ‘letter’. No phrase appears twice in century containing a wealth of information has come to epitomise modern style. Similarly the same guise. No aspect of rhythm, from about performing styles and their editors. At some stage, aesthetic priorities became with portamento, recordings of artists the smallest motif to the longest movement, Many of these editions, however, are now reversed, rendering nineteenth-century including Joachim, Auer, Klengel and Klingler is forced into metric conformity. The same out of print. editions obsolete. Furthermore, without and Rose Quartets, demonstrate an approach search for lost performing traditions that understanding nineteenth-century bowing which, on first hearing, sounds astonishingly has revitalized Baroque music, can inform Today’s trend is away from editions coloured habits, old editions can leave modern players foreign. Yet, as Manuel Garcia had our approach to the music of the Romantics. by big performing personalities, towards the stranded at the wrong end of the bow. The recommended in his 1847 treatise on singing, Editions made by performers of the often elusive ‘urtext’. But old editions remain tendency was to articulate with the bow Adelina Patti (1843-1919) and other great composer's era, as much as methods and as a fascinating testament to the performance kept on the string in the upper half, rather singers of her day can be heard on disc early recordings, have profoundly affected styles of artists from the pre-gramophone era. than letting it bounce towards the heel. making exquisite, varied and, most the Eroica Quartet's approach to Seen in combination with the evidence of importantly, uninhibited use of portamento. nineteenth-century music, but they are nineteenth-century methods on string playing The question that remains is: when did In matters of taste, string players have always only a starting point. Performers are and early recordings, these editions present modern styles of playing replace this been encouraged to emulate singers. Heard beginning to turn back to musty old editions evidence which contradicts many modern nineteenth-century style? It is widely assumed in this context the playing of the generation not to follow them slavishly, but for fresh assumptions about how nineteenth-century that during the nineteenth-century the modern before Kreisler is truly vocal. insight. music is performed. It is the attempt to rise style evolved steadily and progressively. to the challenge of this evidence which has However, scholars such as Clive Brown have The demand for new editions of nineteenth- © 2011 David Watkin coloured the Eroica Quartet’s approach. pointed to evidence from editions, methods century repertoire tacitly acknowledges that and early recordings which directly challenge nineteenth-century editions illustrate a sea Nineteenth-century editions included modern assumptions about performance of change in taste. The words of J.P. Hartley – information about vibrato, portamento (sliding music from Beethoven’s first quartets to ‘the past is another country, they do things between notes) and bowing styles. They often Debussy’s. The influence of the early differently there’ – are as relevant to the music demonstrate certain profound differences nineteenth-century approach to vibrato, of the nineteenth-century as to any other. from today’s performing styles. Portamento was portamento and bowing styles remained largely Although some resent ‘the march of used frequently, indicated by the instruction intact until the 1920s and Kreisler’s generation. authenticity’ into the nineteenth-century, Eroica Quartet released in May 2005 and a disc Other titles from Resonus Classics containing three quartets by Beethoven. Their European concerts have included Landscapes, Real and Imagined Holland, Denmark, Germany, France and Chamber works by Judith Bingham Spain. After a successful Barcelona debut, Yeree Suh soprano the quartet gave a Mendelssohn cycle in Chamber Domaine November 2003. In 2010 they gave a performance of the original 1825 version RES10102 of Mendelssohn’s Octet, Op.20 in the Library of Congress, Washington, Released 2 May 2011 recording it the following May. Further engagements in 2010 included performing Ravel and Debussy quartets in Paris. Peter Hanson violin 1 About Chamber Domaine: Julia Hanson violin 2 In addition to their first release on the Resonus ‘… a wealth of timbral subtlety … utterly magical … a tremendous sense of vitality and commitment’ Vicci Wardman viola Classics label, highlights for 2011 include a Gramophone David Watkin cello recording of quartets by Ravel and Debussy. ‘… intriguing programming … unabashed lushness’ The New York Times The Eroica quartet continues to astonish www.eroicaquartet.com audiences and critics with its radical interpretations of nineteenth-century © 2011 Resonus Ltd music through a series of recordings è 2011 Peter Hanson under exclusive license to Resonus Ltd and performances across Europe Rec orded in St Mary’s Church, Highgate on 31 May to 2 June 2010 Producer, Engineer and Editor: Adrian Hunter and the USA, including the Frick Collection, Executive Producer: Adam Binks New York and the Library of Congress in Recorded at 24-bit / 96kHz resolution Washington, D.C. With their on-going Cover image: Facsimile of original 1825 manuscript of Octet, Op.20 by Felix Mendelssohn, research into contemporary performance held in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. styles they are maturing into a unique With thanks to Roy Mowatt of Fountayne Editions. and passionate force. DDD – MCPS For Harmonia Mundi USA they have RESONUS LTD – LONDON – UK recorded all of Mendelssohn’s quartets, the final release of which was [email protected] www.resonusclassics.com RES10101