Felix Mendelssohn, like Mozart, was a child prodigy who started composing while barely out of diapers. His pre-teen string symphonies show a fine musical mind, but it wasn’t until he was 15 that he finally decided to apply an opus number to a piece for publication. His first three piano quartets comprise his first published works. They are all in minor keys, but with Mendelssohn, the minor mode is not a vehicle for sadness. Like Vivaldi, Felix could unleash raw power in the minor, but he could also portray humor and passion.
The first quartet, with its minor key first movement, is fun for performers. This is raw power, with a second subject in E-flat that starts as beguiling, but turns majestic. This recording repeats the exposition.
He charges into development so rapidly that the listener can’t detect the switch. The first subject gets dissected, then the second subject is worked out as a short fugue.
A little cadenza for piano leads to the recap. The second subject appears in the correct key of C Major. The first subject returns to drive the coda to a decisive finish.
I fixed my You Tube connection, so now I can enjoy your postings again, Publius.
Thanks!
:-)