Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Works

Featuring

Christopher Williams
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

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Compositional Technique

The title 'Songs without Words' (Lieder ohne Worte) initially mystified Mendelssohn's contemporaries, but he insisted each piece should remain 'just as it stands' without added words or voice.

Performer Biography

Christopher Williams, the pianist on this album, is a staff pianist at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and has released three albums of world premiere recordings by composer Semyon Barmotin.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Mendelssohn's musical style was rooted in the German tradition of Bach, Mozart, and Haydn, later assimilating Beethoven and Weber, resulting in a balanced use of chromaticism, strong key structures, and rhythmic drive.

Critical Reception

Mendelssohn's music was banned by the Nazis, and critics often dismissed his works as 'lightweight' compared to other masters, partly due to sentimental titles added by publishers to his 'Songs without Words'.

Composer Biography

Felix Mendelssohn, born in 1809, was considered one of music's greatest child prodigies, with his String Octet (1825) and Midsummer Night's Dream Overture (1826) being works of genius.

Composition History

Many of Mendelssohn's works, including some on this album, were never published during his lifetime due to his busy lifestyle and self-criticism, but recent scholarship has brought them into print.