Mendelssohn: The Complete Solo Piano Music 4

Featuring

Howard Shelley
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Did you know?

1/7

Composer Biography

Mendelssohn's family cultivated the study of Bach's music; his mother, Lea, played pieces from The Well-Tempered Clavier, and his sister, Fanny, performed half of its preludes from memory at age thirteen.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Mendelssohn was a prime mover in the 19th-century revival of J. S. Bach, whose music he tirelessly edited, performed, and promoted.

Historical Context

Mendelssohn's reputation suffered in the 20th century due to a reaction against Victorianism and the banning of his music by the Nazis, despite his baptism as a Lutheran.

Composer Biography

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, a legendary pianist of the 19th century, was compared to Mozart by figures like Goethe, Heine, and Robert Schumann.

Performer Biography

Howard Shelley, the pianist on this recording, has had a distinguished career since his 1971 London debut and often performs in the combined role of conductor and soloist.

Compositional Technique

Mendelssohn's piano music often features an immersion in Bachian fugal counterpoint and a lyrical expressiveness distilled into songlike character pieces.