# Introduce me to Mendelssohn's chamber music



## Llyranor

Hi!

Been going through a cd-set from Quatuor Mosaiques lately, and one of the discs included Mendelssohn string quartet 1/2. I was very pleasantly surprised, especially by #2!

I'm looking to branch out. Explore the rest of his string quartets, maybe his quintets. What sets would you suggest? I'm having trouble finding consistent recommendations. (HIP would be great, but not mandatory)

Thanks!


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## neoshredder

Try the Aurora String Quartet. 
http://www.amazon.com/Mendelssohn-S...2&sr=1-2&keywords=mendelssohn+string+quartets


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## Il_Penseroso

Don't forget to listen to the string quartet No.6 Op.80 in F major, the last one composed two months before he died. Entitled "Requiem for Fanny" it's a tribute for his sister Fanny who died earlier in the same year. It is such a magnificant work.


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## DaDirkNL

I know it's not a quartet or a quintet, but maybe his octet? Very enjoyable.


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## Quartetfore

And of course, the String Octet and the two Piano Trios.


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## Ukko

The Octet for strings is often performed by two string quartets, i.e. two ensembles with 'internal' familiarity. The recording pairing the Smetana and Janacek Quartets is justly famous (well, famous among 'them that's in the know').


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## wrycker

Just listened to 2nd and 6th string quartet today! Got really surprised


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## Vasks

The Octet is a masterpiece and the Piano Trios are better than the quartets


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## Vaneyes

Octet, w. Nash Ensemble (Wigmore Hall Live, rec. 2005)
String Quintets, w. Raphael Ensemble (Hyperion, rec. 1997)
String Quartets, w. Henschel Qt. (Arte Nova, rec.2001 - '04)
Piano Trios, w. Swiss Piano Trio (Audite, rec. 2010)
Works for Cello & Piano, w. Meneses & Wyss (Avie, rec. 2007)


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## hpowders

I too would say you must listen to the two Mendelssohn Piano Trios. They are truly special!


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## Wood

Llyranor, Mendelssohn's chamber music.

Mendelssohn's chamber music, Llyranor.


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## neoshredder

Must get into Schumann's chamber music as well.


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## Mandryka

Llyranor said:


> Hi!
> 
> Been going through a cd-set from Quatuor Mosaiques lately, and one of the discs included Mendelssohn string quartet 1/2. I was very pleasantly surprised, especially by #2!
> 
> I'm looking to branch out. Explore the rest of his string quartets, maybe his quintets. What sets would you suggest? I'm having trouble finding consistent recommendations. (HIP would be great, but not mandatory)
> 
> Thanks!


The recordings of the quartets I've enjoyed the most are from the Ebène Quartet and the Leipzig Quartet. And one from the Lindsay Quartet of the F minor, opus 80. As far as the octet goes, the one with the combined Smetana and Janacek quartets is well worth going out of your way to hear.

As far as tw trios are concerned, there's the Borodin Trio's CD.


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## Guest

I like this set of the Quintets--fantastic playing and sound:










This new release of the Quintets should be excellent, too, based on their other recordings:


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## Il_Penseroso

This is also recommended:


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## Il_Penseroso

neoshredder said:


> Must get into Schumann's chamber music as well.


And also Brahms!


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## Bas

Don't forget the piano sextet!


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## Novelette

Cello sonatas, violin sonatas, string quartets, string quintets, piano quartets, string octet--these are essential! 

The piano sextet is pretty unspectacular, in my opinion, though.


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## Alypius

Try this excellent recent release. The Quatuor Ebene are a brilliant and immensely talented young ensemble. Their performance of the Debussy / Ravel string quartets may be the finest out there. This new disc has Felix Mendelssohn's two finest quartets (#2 and #6) and includes one by his sister Fanny. These guys feel the intensity of 19th-century romanticism in their bones and project it brilliantly in their playing.


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## Woodduck

hpowders said:


> I too would say you must listen to the two Mendelssohn Piano Trios. They are truly special!


He wrote the first one (in D-minor) when he was 15. And what were _we_ doing when _we_ were 15?

_Listening_ to Mendelssohn, perhaps?

Bloody unlikely.


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## Quartetfore

Alypius said:


> Try this excellent recent release. The Quatuor Ebene are a brilliant and immensely talented young ensemble. Their performance of the Debussy / Ravel string quartets may be the finest out there. This new disc has Felix Mendelssohn's two finest quartets (#2 and #6) and includes one by his sister Fanny. These guys feel the intensity of 19th-century romanticism in their bones and project it brilliantly in their playing


I`m not sure if there ever will be the "best" recording of the Debussy/Ravel works, but I think that Ebene recordings must be near or at the top of the list of modern recordings. If you like the Mozart quartets, they have made some terffic recordings of this music.


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## Quartetfore

Wooddock, Mendelssohn composed the Piano Trio 0p.49 when he was 30, the Piano Sextet op.110 was composed when he was 15, and the Octet when he was 16, In any case the 1st Piano Trio is a great work whenever it was composed. 
Best, QF.
PS. I see that I had your name wrong, sorry about that.


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## Woodduck

Quartetfore said:


> Wooddock, Mendelssohn composed the Piano Trio 0p.49 when he was 30, the Piano Sextet op.110 was composed when he was 15, and the Octet when he was 16, In any case the 1st Piano Trio is a great work whenever it was composed.
> Best, QF.
> PS. I see that I had your name wrong, sorry about that.


Right you are. When he was 15 he was out with the gang soaping up carriage windows.


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## Quartetfore

With the money the family had, he might have had the servants do it for him.


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## Woodduck

:lol:.............:lol:


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## hpowders

Woodduck said:


> He wrote the first one (in D-minor) when he was 15. And what were _we_ doing when _we_ were 15?
> 
> _Listening_ to Mendelssohn, perhaps?
> 
> Bloody unlikely.


I was playing stickball in the schoolyard with my friends. They didn't even know I liked classical music. If I told them, I would have been ostracized. I had to be a stealth listener-in the privacy of my room with the windows tightly shut and the door closed; like the Jews practicing their religion in 1490 Spain.


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## Woodduck

hpowders said:


> I was playing stickball in the schoolyard with my friends. They didn't even know I liked classical music. If I told them, I would have been ostracized. I had to be a stealth listener-in the privacy of my room with the windows tightly shut and the door closed; like the Jews practicing their religion in 1490 Spain.


You, at least, knew the secret of appearing normal enough that they would play with you. Me? While they were all playing stickball, I was wandering around Valhalla and Montsalvat in a Wagnerian trance. The boys knew I could not be reached and couldn't even be bothered to beat me up.


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## Animato

If you don't mind listening only to single movements of complex works, then please listen to the two scherzos from the two Piano-Trios by Mendelssohn ! Fantastic ! 

The two trios a two of the most "mature" works by Mendelssohn, a personage who could be quite "childish". 
a biographical note on Mendelssohn:
as a 12 year old boy he used to play the piano for old poet Goethe who kissed him on his forehead, young Felix was very proud of.


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## hpowders

The most approachable piece of Mendelssohn's chamber music is the piano trio #1 in d minor.


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## atmplayspiano

Woodduck said:


> He wrote the first one (in D-minor) when he was 15. And what were _we_ doing when _we_ were 15?
> 
> _Listening_ to Mendelssohn, perhaps?
> 
> Bloody unlikely.


I gave recitals in the morning in my school's chorus room when I was 15, whether the other students enjoyed it or not was not my problem


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## atmplayspiano

Not sure if this counts, but the string symphonies are lovely. They could possibly be performed by a smallish group.


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## Quartetfore

I played the Quartet op.13 this morning, an outstanding work.


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## PeterF

Listening to String Quartet Op.13 right now. It is being played by the Kocian Quartet on a Praga Digitals SACD.
It is a wonderful piece of music. The audio quality is outstanding.


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