# Mendelssohn Songs Without Words



## jegreenwood

Any recommended recordings? I bought Barenboim’s set in the early days of CDs.


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## Heliogabo

Keep it. Must be the best recording of this work (my taste).


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## Rogerx

I agree, however if you want another one you can try : Javier Perianes ( selections)or Daniel Adni. ( EMI)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-l...=12734&creativeASIN=B000002SE9&condition=used


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## flamencosketches

Guiomar Novaes, if you can find it.


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## Ras

*Prosseda on Decca*

*R. Prosseda has recorded all of Mendelssohn's solo piano music for Decca and it has just been released in a box. *
I haven't heard it yet. It's on www.spotify.com for those who like streaming.


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## realdealblues

I will echo the Barenboim recording. I usually don't put a lot of Barenboim's recordings at the top of my lists, but I think his Mendelssohn Songs Without Words is one of his finest efforts, if not his finest.


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## MrMeatScience

If you want something different, Ronald Brautigam has done the lot on a period keyboard. It's a set that has brought me a lot of enjoyment.


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## Josquin13

While technically not virtuosic music, Felix Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words" can be deceptively difficult to play well, musically. In his 1995 book "The Romantic Generation", pianist Charles Rosen wrote,

"The Songs Without Words have a Mozartean grace without Mozart's dramatic power, a Schubertean lyricism without Schubert's intensity. If we could be satisfied today with a simple beauty that raises no questions and does not attempt to puzzle us, the short pieces would resume their old place in the concert repertoire. They charm, but they neither provoke nor astonish. It is not true that they are insipid, but they might as well be."

Hence, according to Rosen, Mendelssohn's Lieder are charming works of "simple beauty" that can easily become insipid, but they aren't insipid. Personally, I find the Lieder most enjoyable when listened to in smaller doses--ideally, only two or three at a time, or per opus set, or heard as encores in a recital. Like Rosen, I don't find them insipid, nor salon relics of a bygone era, but my enjoyment does depend a lot on how the pianist interprets them.

Curiously, when I listen to a selection of pianists play Mendelssohn's Op. 19, no. 1, for instance--a favorite of mine, I hear a striking variety of different interpretations & approaches. Some pianists play it with a brisk Mozartean grace and elegance, choosing to focus more on the surface beauty, such as Daniel Barenboim: 



: which can work, after all, Robert Schumann didn't call Mendelssohn the "Mozart of the 19th century" for no reason. While others place the music more firmly in the romantic idiom, playing it more like a piano piece by, well, Robert Schumann: such as Walter Gieseking, Rosalyn Tureck, and Rena Kyriakou: 



. If I didn't know the music, I'd guess that it was by Schumann, and Op. 19, no. 1 isn't the only place where that happens in the Lieder: Interestingly, Mendelssohn dedicated his Book 5, Op. 62 set to Schumann's wife, Clara: which is proof that he had the Schumanns on his mind. Indeed, the 'Schumannesque' sentiment expressed in Op. 67, no. 1 attests to a special link to Robert's piano music: 



. In contrast, pianist Ilse von Alpenheim attempts to bridge both the classical and romantic idioms in her interpretation of Op. 19, no. 1--playing it briskly, like Barenboim, and yet imbuing her phrasing with a greater sense of poetry by offering a more varied piano touch & using more shading and nuance.

Ilse von Alpenheim: Op. 19, no. 1: 



Rena Kyriakou: Op. 19, no. 1, etc.: 



Ania Dorfmann: Op. 19, no. 1, etc.: 



Rosalyn Tureck: Op. 19, no. 1 (live in Buenos Aires): 



Alicia de Larrocha: Op. 19, no. 1: 



Marie-Catherine Girod: Op. 19, no. 1, etc.: 



Murray Perahia: Op. 19, no. 1: 




Barenboim, on the other hand, tends to play these works in a more straightforward, rhythmically strict manner, without varying his piano touch as much as others--such as Alpenheim and Ania Dorfmann. I can even find his piano touch occasionally blunt. Nor does he use the pedal as heavily as others, either, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But I do recall reading one review where the critic/pianist complained that Barenboim sounded disinterested and hurried in this music, and concluded that he played these works "poorly". Granted, Barenboim's tempi choices are often faster than others, and he doesn't linger much. And yes, occasionally his playing can sound curt to me, and a bit hurried--for example, his Op. 62, no. 6 (when compared to Horowitz--see links below). However, these are piano miniatures, so they probably shouldn't sound like Liszt's Sonata in B minor, right? Perhaps they don't require the same range of expression or romantic grandeur? As Rosen said, they don't possess the "power" of Mozart or the "intensity" of Schubert, so why should a pianist present them in such a light? Maybe, on his own terms, Barenboim's more fleet and light approach does work well in this music. I should add that the critics at the old Penguin Guide thought highly of this set back in the 1970s.

Among pianists of the digital era, Murray Perahia and Andras Schiff are likewise content to stay, more or less, on the Mozartean surface, and don't play with a huge amount of imagination or extrovert romantic feeling, or rubato, despite that they offer good performances. By doing so, I feel that they can, at times, lose the singing quality that is so integral to this music & related to the composer's chosen title--which Mendelssohn explained meant that these works were to be 'sung' by the piano. One notable exception is Alicia de Larrocha, who, in my view, plays the Lieder exceptionally well in a more or less 'classical' vein, and she would be one of my top choices among digital era pianists in this repertory (& I prefer her to Barenboim); however, De Larrocha only recorded a selection of the Songs for RCA in her later years, and her one or two earlier analogue recordings were made during the LP era, which may be difficult to find now (on CD?):

















https://www.amazon.com/Mendelssohn-...elssohn&qid=1555532591&s=music&sr=1-1-catcorr

From 1963, on LP: 




If I were pressed to pick a complete set, I'd choose either (1) Ania Dorfmann's mono set for RCA Victor--which was the first complete recording of these works (though I'd urge anyone who's interested in Dorfmann's set to sample the older mono sound, which has been newly remastered from the original RCA tapes, to make sure you're okay with it--see my link below): https://www.prestomusic.com/classic...a-dorfmann-the-complete-rca-victor-recordings, or, (2) the Vox recordings by Greek pianist, Rena Kyriakou. Both Dorfmann and Kyriakou were students of Isidor Philipp--who was himself a student of Georges Mathias, who studied with Chopin for 5 years, along with Camille Saint-Saens, Stephen Heller--a Czerny pupil, and Théodore Ritter--a Liszt pupil, and was also a lifelong friend of Claude Debussy, and Charles-Valentin Alkan. Given such a pedigree, it's not surprising that both pianists offer performances that are quite varied and full of romantic feeling and an appropriate singing quality, and they make very good alternatives to Barenboim's more restrained approach. (However, Barenboim's set is good, too, if you can accept his general view of the music, and you don't mind that he doesn't vary his piano touch as much as others.)

From the digital era, Marie-Catharine Girod's 2006 set is excellent. Girod has recorded the complete solo piano works for Saphir, so she's an experienced Mendelssohn player; although I tend to prefer De Larrocha's slightly less romantic approach, even though Girod does achieve a beautiful singing quality in her playing (as does De Larrocha). Nonetheless, this is a very good, recommendable set.

But, in truth, I've not yet heard a 'great' digital era set; although, admittedly, there are a number that I don't know (see below). Perhaps if Jorge Bolet or Rosalyn Tureck had recorded a digital set in their later years, we'd have one, as both pianists were remarkable in Mendelssohn... Ilse von Alpenheim's complete set isn't digital, but the quad Philips engineering sound is excellent (especially on Pentatone's refurbished hybrid SACD of her other Mendelssohn recordings: https://www.amazon.com/Mendelssohn-...hn+import&qid=1555651020&s=music&sr=1-1-fkmr2), and as mentioned, Alpenheim's "Songs Without Words" are very well played:

https://www.amazon.com/Mendelssohn-...e lssohn&qid=1555650984&s=music&sr=1-1-fkmr0
https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%A1%...von+alpenheim&qid=1555651138&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Livia Rev's 1986 complete set on Hyperion has received very favorable reviews, too, and it's a fine set. Rev takes this music seriously, and plays it in a romantic manner--but not excessively so, as she's more middle of the road, & with a wide range of emotion. Gramophone wrote that Rev performs these works with a "fluid and elegantly shaped melodic line--as well as several moments of acuter perception in phrasing and shading", & I agree. However, when listening to her Songs in a larger doses, I can occasionally feel that there are pianists who are more lithe and characterful in these works. But that may be partly due to the rather bottom-heavy sound that Hyperion has given her, rather than Rev's playing: as I agree with the Gramophone's assessment of the sound engineering, where the critic writes, "While liking the warmth Rev enjoys from Hyperion, I did think the tone just a bit plummy, at times bottom-heavy too." In comparison to Barenboim, Rev has the more beautiful piano tone, and a more sensitive piano touch, too, & that can show in places, such as when heard side by side with Barenboim's quickened and unadorned Op. 62 set. For example, his Op. 62, No. 1, doesn't sound nearly as inspired by Schumann's dreamy, poetic Eusebius side, as it does in Rev's hands, nor as played by other pianists, either--such Gieseking, Dorfmann, Kyriakou, Horowitz, G. Doyen, etc.. But I suppose it is well played, in its own way. While Barenboim does indeed sound "disinterested" and "hurried" in his Op. 62, no. 6, in comparison to Rev & other pianists:

Barenboim, Op. 62, No. 1: 



Horowitz: Op.62, no. 1: 



Doyen: Op. 62, no. 1: 




Horowitz, Op. 62, No. 6: 



Barenboim, Op. 62, No. 6: 




Girod: Op. 62, nos. 1-6: 




Rev: https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDD22020 (unfortunately, I can't find Rev's set on YT.)

Granted, some listeners may prefer Barenboim's quickness and lightness in these works. As for myself, I agree that Barenboim plays certain Songs well (such as his Op. 19, no. 6: 



), but I also find that, at times, he seems to go out of his way to avoid the romantic elements in this music and, for me, those elements are undeniably there--especially in the more 'Schumannesque' Lieder, as noted. Although, of course, that brings up the question of how Schumann's music should be played: either more classically or romantically? After all, Schumann was, like Mendelssohn, an early Romantic composer, and therefore he probably didn't indulge in the keyboard excesses of late Romanticism. Indeed, some listeners may feel that Barenboim's approach is suitably 'Schumannesque' in his Op. 62 set--but I don't overly feel that way.

Among those recordings that I don't know, I've not heard pianist Javier Perianes's recent single CD on Harmonia Mundi, which has received the Classica "Choc", 5 stars by Diapason and some critics have called the new 'reference recording' (over Barenboim's)--but he's recorded only a selection of the Lieder. Here is what Jed Distler had to say about Perianes's Mendelssohn at Classics Today: https://www.classicstoday.com/review/javier-perianes-marvelous-mendelssohn/. Nor have I listened to Frank van de Laar's complete set on Brilliant: 



, or Christoph Eschenbach's older DG set (which is included in the Eloquence box set of Eschenbach's recordings in the "Romantic" repertory, & judging by the YT samples (see below), Eschenbach's playing sounds near ideal to me in this music: https://www.amazon.com/Eloq-Romanti...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00RYFXFIS). Nor have I heard Luba Edlina's set on Chandos, or Daniel Gortler's: 



, or Amir Katz's: 



 (EDIT--nor Roberto Prosseda's complete works, either, which Ras has mentioned above.) Lastly, I've not heard German pianist Matthias Kirschnereit's digital set on Berlin Classics, although I have recently thoroughly enjoyed his wonderful CPO Handel Keyboard Concertos, so I'd expect his Mendelssohn is excellent, too, and interestingly (& most unusually), he includes Mendelssohn's sister, Fanny Hensel's complete "Songs Without Words", as well, in his 3-CD set: 



.

Christoph Eschenbach: 








https://www.amazon.de/Mendelssohn-Lieder-Worte-Andante-Remembrance/dp/B00SW7FTN6

Otherwise, the young Canadian-Polish pianist, Jan Lisiecki, has only recorded a few of Mendelssohn's solo piano works to date--on his DG CD of the two Piano Concertos, including the Op. 19, no. 6 in G Minor "Venetian Gondola Song", and I'd be interested to hear him play more of them. He seems to have a budding affinity for Mendelssohn's music, and varies his piano touch a bit more than Barenboim. He also captures the singing quality of this music well:

Jan Lisiecki--Op. 19, no. 6: 



Daniel Barenboim--Op. 19, no. 6: 



Matthias Kirschnereit--Op. 19, no. 6: 



EDIT: Robert Prosseda--Op. 19, no. 6: 




There's also a decent Mendelssohn CD from the French pianist Bertrand Chamayou, but, like De Larrocha, he has only recorded a small selection of them--just five to be exact:






















For period enthusiasts, there's also Ronald Brautigam's set of all Eight books of the Songs (on two BIS hybrid SACDs--1-4 and 5-8, respectively), played on a Paul McNulty modern reconstruction of a 1830 Pleyel piano. I've not heard Brautigam's recordings myself, but Classica gave it a 4 star rating (out of 5): 




In the end, however, if you want to hear these pieces played most imaginatively, I think you have to turn to the older pianists, who were more deeply attuned to this music, in my opinion, as they played the Lieder more frequently--especially the earliest historical pianists, such as Vladimir de Pachmann, and Francis Planté (despite Planté's extreme age when he made his recordings)--who have the distinction of being the only two pianists that were born during the Romantic era (of Schumann, Mendelssohn, Liszt, and Chopin) to make recordings. Pachmann and other historical pianists also possessed a more magical, pearly piano touch than most pianists today, as they took greater pains to produce a more subtle, varied, & beautiful sound at the piano, which is especially well-suited to Mendelssohn's Lieder:

Vladimir de Pachmann (who was Gustav Mahler's favorite pianist):
--Venetian Gondola Song, Op. 30, No. 6: 



--Op. 62, No. 1: 




Francis Planté (1839-1934), a student of Marmontel, and a friend of Rossini, Liszt, Saint-Saéns, etc., Planté actually heard Chopin play: Here he is at aged 89! playing three of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words:

Op. 62, no. 6 "Spinning Song": 



Op. 67, no. 4: 



Op. 67: no. 6: 




Walter Gieseking: 17 Lieder: 




Myra Hess: 




Ginette Doyen:





















Alfred Cortot: 




Rudolf Serkin: 




Ignaz Friedman: a selection: 




Vladimir Horowitz: 




Wilhelm Backhaus: 




Sviatoslav Richter: 




Guiomar Novaes: 




Jorge Bolet: 




Ania Dorfmann: 




Rena Kyriakou: 




In closing, here are 10 pianists--recorded between 1929-2006--playing Mendelssohn's "Romance sans paroles", Op. 38, no. 6: 




My 15 cents.


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## SixFootScowl

As much as I like Mendelssohn, I have not checked out his Songs Without Words. I should give them a listen some time. There are two disks of them on my Mendelssohn Masterworks set.


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## Oldhoosierdude

I only recently discovered this work. I heard Shelley's wonderful recording available with his complete Mendelssohn solo piano release. Alas price caused me to look elsewhere.

I found this box set on Amazon for $3.29. It has other works all well done but the jewel is Songs Without Words performed by Dana Protopopescu in I believe the early 90's. She/He is excellent and the sound is excellent.


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## Sascha121

I am currently working on op 19 no. 2,6 and op85 no2 also op102 no 5 , soon on youtube, is there any one here to want to leave me a feedback? Gonna post them soon


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## Simplicissimus

I like Ania Dorfmann’s 1958 recording, but my favorite performance of some of the Songs without Words was a recital by Raymond Lewenthal that I attended in 1979. I’m pretty sure he never recorded these pieces but I wish he had.


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