Mendelssohn & Mendelssohn-Hensel: Works for Cello & Piano

Cello and piano works by Felix Mendelssohn, including his two Sonatas, are paired with two pieces by his sister Fanny Mendelssohn, a composer whose opportunities were restricted by societal conventions. The performers are cellist Johannes Moser and pianist Alasdair Beatson, who plays on an 1837 Erard fortepiano that matches the Mendelssohn household's own instrument.

Featuring

Johannes Moser
Alasdair Beatson
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Fanny Hensel

Did you know?

1/7

Recording & Production

This album was recorded in December 2018 at Recording Studio Drente in Valthermond.

Composer Biography

Felix Mendelssohn died at 38, one year younger than the author of the liner notes is now, from three strokes, but it is suggested he died of a broken heart after his sister Fanny's death.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Robert Schumann, a prominent composer and critic, described Felix Mendelssohn as 'the Mozart of the 19th century,' praising him as the brightest musician who best reconciled the contradictions of his time.

Instruments

Johannes Moser performs on a 1694 Andrea Guarneri cello, which is on loan from a private collection.

Composition History

Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn was the driving force behind the 'Sunday music salons' at the Mendelssohn home in Berlin, which served as her primary platform to showcase and perform her music.

Interpretation

Pianist Alasdair Beatson chose an Érard fortepiano from 1837 for this recording, as it blends more harmoniously with the cello than a modern grand piano, which can overwhelm the cello's sound.

Composer Biography

Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn, Felix's older sister, was a talented pianist and composer who was discouraged from a professional career by her father, who believed a woman's only proper profession was that of a housewife.