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HYBRID MUL TICHANNEL Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) The Piano Trios Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49 (1839) 1 Molto allegro agitato 9. 34 2 Andante con moto tranquillo 6. 56 3 Scherzo – Leggiero e vivace 3. 30 4 Finale – Allegro assai appassionato 8. 20 Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66 (1846) 5 Allegro energico e con fuoco 10. 32 6 Andante espressivo 8. 17 7 Scherzo – Molto allegro quasi presto 3. 26 8 Finale – Allegro appassionato 7. 57 Julia Fischer, violin (http://www.juliafischer.com/) Jonathan Gilad, piano (http://www.pianobleu.com/jonathan_gilad.html) Daniel Müller-Schott, cello (http://www.daniel-mueller-schott.com/) A co-production of PentaTone Music and Deutschlandfunk Recording venue: Deutschlandfunk Sendesaal, Cologne, Germany (14-16/2/2006) Executive Producers: Wolf Werth & Job Maarse Recording Producer: Job Maarse Balance Engineer: Jean-Marie Geijsen Recording Engineer: Sebastian Stein Editing: Sebastian Stein Total playing time: 59. 04 Heaven and Earth A com- Piano Trios prehensive education was in D minor & C minor part of the family tra- by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy dition as laid down by Felix’ grandfather, Moses lassical moderation and Roman- Mendelssohn, the eminent C tic sensitivity are the signatures Jewish philosopher of the Age of for the music of Felix Mendelssohn Enlightenment. For that reason, Felix Bartholdy. Not, however, in an anach- Mendelssohn was able to hone his ronistic, but in a progressive sense of skills as a composer in the prosperous the word, even transgressing bounda- family home, in which comfortable ries: “Nobody can forbid me to take respectability, extensive cultural inter- pleasure in this and to continue work- ests and strict work discipline were ing on the legacy left to me by the the order of the day. He was born in great masters. After all, it is not the Hamburg in 1809, son of the banker idea that each person has to start Abraham Mendelssohn and his wife afresh from the beginning; however, Lea, and grew up in Berlin from 1811 the work should also carry on from onwards. While still a child, he became where it left off in accordance with well acquainted with the intellectual one’s creative powers, and not be elite of his time. His music teacher, solely an unimaginative repetition of Carl Friedrich Zelter, principal of the what has been”, thus did he formulate Berlin Singakademie, introduced the his self-confident, aesthetic concept. 12-year-old Felix to Johann Wolfgang And correspondingly, as most of his Goethe and, in 1825, the prominent contemporaries including Franz Liszt composer Luigi Cherubini managed agreed, he thus became one of the to convince Felix’s doubtful father of “most outstanding German compos- his son’s extraordinary musical talent. ers” of the early 19th century. In order to consolidate the acceptance of his civil status in Germany, Abra- ham Mendelssohn had converted to Christianity, confirmed his integration with the additional name Bartholdy, 1850. Admittedly, Felix Mendelssohn and had his son Felix baptized a Prot- Bartholdy was spectacularly success- estant. Thus the course was set for a ful in the international circles, espe- career as composer and conductor. cially in London, where “flattery was heaped upon him by the aristocracy”: nevertheless, he continued to con- On this intellectual foundation, centrate on Germany despite many Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy expand- cultural journeys and concert engage- ed and renovated the aesthetic struc- ments in Europe. His appointment ture of the classical music culture, as director of the Gewandhaus con- by adding his own forms such as the certs in Leipzig in 1835 was extremely concert-overture to William Shake- welcome, as “I have now gained a speare’s Midsummer night’s dream firm foothold in Germany, and will or original genres such as the Octet no longer need to spend half my for Strings. Besides, his reading of life travelling abroad.” Just as his world literature strongly influenced manner of composition was based his work, which is the reason why his on historical continuity, likewise he oeuvre is dominated by a lyrical-epic designed unconventional concert style. “He was the first musician to cycles as Kapellmeister, during which actually make music right in front of the Leipzig audiences were able to the ‘fine society’ – in the good sense experience classical music as it devel- of the word. He was not a gruff, oped: “The artless among them were hermit-like German citizen, such as able to learn, the bright ones smiled: Bach, but an educated and versatile in short, the backwards step into the man, with easy social skills, prosper- past may well have been a step for- ous and civilized, who was known ward”, thus wrote his colleague and throughout almost the whole of friend Robert Schumann, happily. Germany, and whose compa- ny was sought in all select circles”, thus wrote the author Wilhelm While consolidating his profes- Heinrich Riehl in sional situation, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was also able to find hap- sion of roles piness in his private life: in 1837, he between the married Cécile, the eldest daughter piano part – which of the widow Jeanrenaud, in Frank- draws attention to furt am Main. Although his father itself – and the frequent- had died just two years previously, ly discreet strings. The four- Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was movement sonata form refers now able to revel “comfortably” to models developed by Ludwig in his family, and felt “so peace- van Beethoven for his piano trios. fully happy, as never before since And on top of that, Felix Mendelssohn leaving the family home. I am con- Bartholdy clearly observed the trends vinced that I should either take this of his times with regard to chamber position (in Leipzig) or none at all.” music, without neglecting the Classi- cal style. He himself played the piano part during the première on February With reference to these biographi- 1, 1840 in Leipzig, whereas the violin cal events, death and love may well part was played by the leader of the have been the subject for the Piano Gewandhaus Orchestra, Ferdinand Trio in D minor, Op. 49, as this work David, and the cellist was Carl Witt- dating from 1839 simply pulsates with mann. Robert Schumann pronounced a yearning for a harmony of feelings this composition “the master trio of as in heaven. In a double perspective: contemporary music”, an assessment i.e. as almost paradisaical joy in the which remains valid to this day, as lyrical theme of the Molto allegro the work has retained its popularity. agitato, with the virtuoso piano part, and as consolation in the dialogue- like elegy between the violin and cello Although the carefree happiness in the Andante. With lively dance-like within his family – the Mendelssohn gestures, the Scherzo then leads into Bartholdy’s had five children – con- a rhythmically striking Rondo-Finale. cealed the grief he felt at the death of A vague ambivalence is present here, his father, the demise of his mother which also shows itself in the divi- in 1843 and perhaps also the dis- covery of a deterioration in his own Bartholdy died on November 4, 1847 health left clear traces in the compos- after suffering a stroke. er’s works. Scepticism is the mood Hans-Dieter Grünefeld of the Piano Trio in C minor: Felix English translation: Fiona J. Stroker-Gale Mendelssohn Bartholdy wrote this in 1844 / 45 and performed the work in Leipzig that year on December 20, Julia Fischer with the same musicians with whom orn in 1983 in Munich, Germany, he had given the première of the B Julia Fischer is among the top Piano Trio in D minor. The chromatic violin soloists performing for audi- lines and dark sound-toning of the ences around the globe. Reviewers theme in the Allegro energico e con have described her as “not a talent, fuoco reflects a crisis, which neverthe- but a full-fledged phenomenal violin- less regains its balance. The Andante ist,” have said “she takes your breath espressivo could well be meant as away,” is “worthy of a hailstorm of a farewell song, not full of despair, superlatives,” and has a “winning but tinted in various different timbres blend of steely assurance and una- by means of organically circulating bashed lyricism”. motifs. The Scherzo has an almost hasty poetic style, which does not Julia Fischer has worked with find tranquillity and moderation until such internationally acclaimed the hymnic Allegro appassionato, in conductors as Lorin Maazel, Chris- which Bach’s Chorale “Herr Gott, Dich toph Eschenbach, Yehudi Menuhin, fürchten wir alle” can be recognized. Giuseppe Sinopoli, Bernhard Klee, The work, dedicated to Louis Spohr, Asher Fish, Marek Janowski, Jeffrey returns the emotions earthwards, Tate, Simone Young, Herbert Blomst- binds them into a dense fabric edt, Yakov Kreizberg, Rafael Frühbeck of equally important voices. de Burgos, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Nev- Here, aesthetic harmony ille Marriner, David Zinman, Michael has become a com- Tilson Thomas, Mikhail Jurowski pact unity. Felix and with a variety of top German, Mendelssohn American, British, Polish, French, Italian, Swiss, Dutch, Norwegian, Jean–Yves Russian, Japanese, Czech and Slo- Thibaudet, vakian orchestras. Julia Fischer has Daniel Müller– performed in most European coun- Schott, Tabea Zim- tries, the United States, Brasil and mermann, Gustav Rivin- Japan; in concerts broadcast on TV ius, Lars Vogt, Oliver Schny- and radio in every major European der and Milana Chernyavska. country, as well as on many US, Japa- nese and Australian radio stations. In fall 2004 the label Penta- Tone released Julia Fischer’s first In 2003 Julia Fischer – already for CD: Russian violin concertos with six years present in US concert halls Yakov Kreizberg and the Russian at that time – appeared with the New National Orchestra.