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The Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in A-flat major was written by Felix Mendelssohn when he was 15 years old. and is dated 12 November 1824.[1] Written for two pianos and a full orchestra, the work received its first public performance in Berlin, in 1825. The composer and his mentor Ignaz Moscheles, who inspired its composition, were the soloists. He performed it again on 20 February 1827 at Stettin, where the cathedral organist, composer, baritone singer and conductor Carl Loewe organised concerts. Loewe and Mendelssohn were the two piano soloists on that occasion.[2]
This concerto and its predecessor, the E major concerto, may be the first works composed for full orchestra by Mendelssohn.
The concerto may have been inspired by the occasion when Mendelssohn met Ignaz Moscheles in Berlin in 1824, when Moscheles accepted an invitation to visit Abraham Mendelssohn Bartholdy to give some music lessons to his children Felix and Fanny.
The concerto was not played for many years until the manuscript was found in the archive of the Berlin State Library in 1950.[1]
There are three movements: 1.Allegro vivace 2.Andante 3.Allegro vivace
[Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in A-flat major (Mendelssohn), Wkipedia] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto_for_Two_Pianos_and_Orchestra_in_A-flat_major_(Mendelssohn)
A remarkable work for anyone, let alone a 15 year old.
This piece reminds me somewhat of work done by Claude Debussy, a similar lilting tone that becomes the structure.
The volume on this youtube is not that good. I may bring up another sample to hear.
Ping
Even better are Mendelssohn’s string quartets.
Gotta add this to my MP3 collection.
Here is one of my favorite short compositions. Mozart K. 365 Concert for two pianos in e-flat, 2nd movement: Andante.
I love this one. It makes me want to jump in a river and swim
while the sun warms the earth in the morning. Think of Beach Scenes by Edouard Manet.