Felix Mendelssohn, an all-round musician, founded and funded a new conservatoire in Leipzig and spearheaded the movement to rediscover J. S. Bach's works.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Felix Mendelssohn's 'Songs Without Words' were never intended to have literal words or depict specific things, as he believed music conveyed feelings that words could not.
Composer Biography
J. S. Bach, Leipzig's most famous resident, settled there in 1723 as Kantor at St. Thomas', composing music for the city's four churches and training choirboys.
Historical Context
Leipzig, where much of the music on this album originated, was a major cultural city in Europe due to its location on important medieval trade routes.
Instruments
The recording was made on a Feurich piano from 1909, manufactured in Leipzig by Julius Feurich, whose company supplied pianos across Europe and to Chile and Brazil.
Composer Biography
Edvard Grieg, often called the 'father of Norwegian Music,' received his formal musical education at the Conservatoire in Leipzig, studying with Niels Gade.
Compositional Technique
J. S. Bach's Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue is exceptionally daring in its use of chromaticism, likely inspired by advancements in keyboard instrument production.
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