Felix Mendelssohn was a contemporary of Chopin and Schumann. Unlike so many of the artistic set, he married young and stayed married. The Mendelssohns were close friends with the Schumanns, and they were also close to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Felix spent time in England, where he founded the City of Birmingham Symphony, which is still in existence today. Because the Mendelssohns were so conventional in their family arrangements, the Queen was happy to have them over to the palace because she and Albert could put away their English and break out their High German in conversation. Of course, Felix would sit down at the piano and play his latest “Songs without Words”.
Felix was 30 in 1839 and conducting at the Leipzig Gewaudhaus Orchestra when he put this trio to paper. It’s in four movements. The first movement, marked “molto allegro agitato” in 6/8 time, starts with a passage for cello that most cellists would kill to play. You can just wallow in that melody.
At 1:56, Felix introduces the second subject in F Major, and this is another tune you can just wallow in.
At 3:42, they skip the repeat of the exposition and go right into the development. Felix works over the two subjects in a variety of keys in a masterly manner.
At 5:56, Felix recaps the first subject and turns to the second subject in D Major at 7:10. The coda uses both subjects to wrap it up with a bang.
This performance features my old buddy Adam Neiman on piano. (We are both fans of Ayn Rand.) Note that Adam doesn’t use a paper score, but displays it on his laptop.
Some of my students scroll their music on their tablets. Since i accompany may of them on bass, I have had to learn how to do this too, as I watch over their shoulder. Having the notes move while one keeps one’s eyes steady is exactly the opposite of what I learned, so it is a challenge for me.
It’s even worse when they do it on an iphone!