Mendelssohn’s Masterpieces | Popular Classical Music

Cello Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op. 58Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata No. 2 / Sol Gabetta, Bertrand Chamayou

This work is a chamber piece composed by Mendelssohn in 1843.

It blends features of the early Romantic period with Classical traditions, offering a rich musical texture for cello and piano.

It consists of four movements and has a performance time of about 25 minutes.

In particular, the third movement features recitative-like passages for the cello that quote Bach’s Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, expressing Mendelssohn’s reverence for Bach.

Expressive and technically demanding, this piece is an important part of the cello repertoire and is one that every classical music enthusiast should hear.

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 11Felix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn: 1. Sinfonie ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Andrés Orozco-Estrada

Composed when Mendelssohn was just fifteen, this work fully showcases his talent.

Consisting of four movements, it reflects Classical influences while shining with the originality of a young genius.

The strength of the first movement, the elegance of the second, the vitality of the third, and the grandeur of the fourth—each movement presents a different character that keeps listeners engaged.

It was premiered in November 1824 at a celebration for his sister’s birthday.

This piece is recommended not only for lovers of classical music but also for those who are just beginning to explore the world of music.

Oratorio ‘Elijah’ Op. 70Felix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn | Elias Oratorium

It is a work performed through solo and choral singing that depicts the life of the prophet Elijah from the Old Testament Book of Kings.

The Book of Kings recounts the reigns of the successive rulers of the Kingdom of Israel, beginning with Solomon, the successor of David, and tells the story of the kingdom’s decline.

This piece is a highly popular oratorio known for fusing Baroque music with opera, inheriting Handel’s established style and sonorous choral writing.

Moving from lamentation and suffering to hope and overflowing joy, it resonates with Beethoven’s idea of “through suffering to joy.” Mendelssohn held Beethoven in great esteem.

Parts I and II together run 2 hours and 10 minutes.

As it is long, we recommend listening in sections.

Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-flat major, Op. 106Felix Mendelssohn

ILSE VON ALPENHEIM plays MENDELSSOHN Piano Sonata Op.106 (1975)

This is a work Mendelssohn composed at the age of 18.

Among his sonatas, it is often performed and well loved.

Mendelssohn deeply admired Beethoven.

This piece was composed in 1827, the year Beethoven passed away, and it shares many similarities with Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata.

It has four movements, each of them superb, with an average performance time of about 20 minutes.

The first movement begins powerfully and brilliantly; the scherzo is played with lightness; the third movement sings with graceful melody.

It proceeds attacca from the third to the fourth movement, where the gentle tune is sweet and beguiling, and the work closes as if fading away with arpeggios.

In general, even Mendelssohn’s minor-key works lack a sense of tragedy or gloom; they are beautiful, fresh, and richly poetic.

Even among piano works, the difference in character stands out when compared to those of his contemporary, Chopin.

Please enjoy about 18 minutes with Ilse von Alpenheim at the piano.

Songs Without Words, Book I, Op. 19 No. 6 “Venetian Boat Song No. 1”Felix Mendelssohn

Jan Lisiecki – Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte, Op. 19: No. 6 in G Minor, “Venetian Gondola Song”

A scene of Venice painted by a master of German Romanticism.

The lilting 6/8 rhythm, reminiscent of gently rippling waves, is soothing and conjures the image of a gondola gliding quietly across the water.

Composed in October 1830, this gem is a miniature that Mendelssohn himself titled “Venetian Boat Song.” The soft accompaniment in the left hand and the singing melody in the right hand create a superb balance, drawing the listener into a dreamlike world.

While not especially demanding technically, it requires delicate touch and expressive nuance.

A masterpiece that piano enthusiasts are warmly encouraged to try.

Barcarolle of Venice, Op. 57 No. 5Felix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn – “Venezianisches Gondellied” – Schreier

This is a work from 1842.

It is a plaintive yet passionate song in which a man, transformed into a Venetian gondolier, longs for his beloved and sings.

The poem is by Thomas Moore.

Thomas Moore was a poet born in Ireland in 1805, known for “The Last Rose of Summer” (The Flowers of the Garden).

The Venetian barcarolle “Venetianisches Gondellied” was translated into German, beginning with the lines, “When the evening breeze blows across the square, Ninetta, you know who is waiting here.” Performed by tenor Peter Schreier with Walter Olbertz at the piano.

Peter Schreier, born in 1935, was a German tenor who in recent years also took up conducting.

He had a wide-ranging career in opera (Mozart, Wagner, Strauss, etc.), oratorio, the St.

Matthew Passion, and German Lieder.

The accompanist Walter Olbertz is a pianist specializing in the Classical era (especially Haydn).

Saint Paul, Op. 36Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Paulus op.36 aus dem Katharinensaal der HMT-Rostock

A monumental oratorio by Felix Mendelssohn in which grand chorus and orchestra unite to paint the Bible’s dramatic narratives in sound.

Mendelssohn is renowned for reviving Bach’s music, and you can feel his profound reverence for that tradition in this work as well.

The piece traces the spiritual journey of Saul, once a persecutor, as he converts and becomes the Apostle Paul.

The overwhelming power of the chorus is no mere backdrop; at times it embodies the crowd, at others the community of believers, propelling the story with compelling force.

Premiered in May 1836, the work was celebrated as one of the composer’s signature pieces during his lifetime.

It is a masterpiece—ideal for immersing yourself in majestic, narrative-rich music that offers a different flavor from opera.