Name: Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Vergessene Lieder by Klaus Mertens
Brand: Klaus Mertens
SKU: 4025438080642
Price: 9.9 USD
Availability: OnlineOnly
Rating: 3 (161 reviews)

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Felix Mendelssohn roosted near the top of the composer pantheon in the nineteenth century but suffered a bit of demotion in the early and middle twentieth, just as systematic musicology was beginning to do its thing. As a result, his music was never subjected to very rigorous bibliographic control, and quite a bit of it has never been recorded. These "vergessene Lieder" (forgotten songs) were first published in a complete edition that appeared in the early 2000s; prior to that they were known only to specialists. There's no good reason for that other than the randomness of history; there's nothing wrong with them, and in fact they might even further the continuing rehabilitation of Mendelssohn as a song composer. Sample the Reiterlied (track 11), which isn't Schubert's Erlkönig but which is an expertly shaped take on the horseback idea. Many of the pieces are seemingly simple love songs that have beautifully spun-out melodies that take them out of the realm of the ordinary, and vocal students should get to know them; they're the kind of songs that show off voices at their best. An interesting feature is that several of the songs have unidentified texts that may have been written by Mendelssohn himself. Baritone Klaus Mertens, mostly a Bach specialist hitherto, has a very fine light touch that brings out the melodic gifts in these songs. A nice find from the small German label Farao Classics, with notes and texts in German and English.

Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Vergessene Lieder

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1. Sicheln schallen, MWV K12 - Sicheln schallen, Ähren fallen

2. Ich denke dein, MWV K16 - Ich denke dein, wenn durch den Hain

3. Der Verlassene, MWV K5 - Nacht ist um mich her

4. Was will die einsame Thrane?, MWV K94 - Was will die einsame Träne

5. Wiegenlied, MWV K8 - Schlummre sanft und milde

6. Der Wasserfall, MWV K22 - Rieselt hernieder, schäumende Fluten

7. Lieder ohne Worte (Songs without Words), Book 7, Op. 85 - Lied ohne Worte (Allegro agitato), a-Moll, op. 85 Nr. 2

8. 4 Lieder (1882) - Weiter, rastlos, atemlos, vorüber, festlich helles Schloss

9. Lied der Freundin, MWV K95 - Zarter Blumen leicht Gewinde

10. 4 Songs (1830) - Sanft entschwanden mir der Kindheit Tage

11. 4 Songs (1830) - Immer fort von Ort zu Ort

12. 4 Songs (1830) - Leb wohl, mein Lieb, und weine nicht

13. 4 Songs (1830) - Ich danke Gott, dir Gott im hohen Himmel

14. Lieder ohne Worte (Songs without Words), Book 4, Op. 53 - Lied ohne Worte (Molto Allegro vivace), A-Dur, op. 53 Nr. 6

15. Im Kahn, MWV K91 - Mein Liebchen, wir saßen beisammen

16. 7 Charakterstucke, Op. 7 - Charakterstück (Sanft und mit Empfindung), e-moll, op. 7 Nr. 1

17. Reiselied, MWV K67 - Ich reit ins finstre Land hinein

18. Sanft weh'n im Hauch der Abendluft, MWV K9 - Sanft weh'n im Hauch der Abendluft

19. Warum sind denn die Rosen so blass?, MWV K83 - Warum sind denn die Rosen so blass

20. Lieder ohne Worte (Songs without Words), Book 2, Op. 30 - Lied ohne Worte (Andante espressivo), Es-Dur, op. 30 Nr. 1

21. Andres Mailied, MWV K81 - Ich weiß mir'n Mädchen

22. O konnt ich zu dir fliegen, MWV K98 - O könnt' ich zu dir fliegen

23. Lieder ohne Worte, Book 5, Op. 62 - Lied ohne Worte (Andante espressivo), G-Dur, op. 62 Nr. 1

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