Baerenreiter Verlag

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 - 1847)
Editor: R. Larry Todd
Fingering: Matthias Kirschnereit
Format: Book
Instrumentation: Piano

Fanny Mendelssohn received a lyrical piano piece as a birthday present from her brother Felix in 1828; he wrote it out in her music album, and she called it "Lied ohne Worte" (Song without Words). Mendelssohn wrote such songs for piano, "true music, which fill a person's soul with a thousand better things than words", throughout his life. He himself saw six collections into print between 1832 and 1845. Two further collections containing pieces from the composer's unpublished works were published posthumously.

As suited their character, Mendelssohn's "Lieder ohne Worte" were primarily rooted in domestic music-making in the home, in the middle-class parlours, between comfortable paintings and Biedermeier furnishings. Increasingly they came to be heard in the concert hall. In addition, travelling virtuosi took up these rather reserved pieces, helped popularise them and made them into what they still are today - pillars of the repertoire.

This edition includes all the collections printed during Mendelssohn's lifetime, together with those published posthumously. The appendix also contains a selection of the "Lieder ohne Worte" which have survived individually, including two pieces which have not been available in modern editions until now.

The editor R. Larry Todd is regarded as one of the most renowned Mendelssohn scholars. He is well-known for both his numerous editions of the composer's works and an extensive monograph.

Matthias Kirschnereit has made a name as a pianist in recent years through his interpretations of Mozart, and particularly for his magnificent recording of Mendelssohn.

• Includes two pieces which have not previously been available in modern editions
• Critical Edition of one of Mendelssohn's major works
• Detailed foreword (Eng/Ger), Critical Commentary (Eng) and facsimiles
• With fingerings by the noted Mendelssohn interpreter Matthias Kirschnereit

Contents:

• Preface
• Facsimiles:
  • Lied ohne Worte op. 19b Nr. 2 (Fruhfassung / Early version)
  • Lied ohne Worte op. 85 Nr. 5 (Album Caroline F. Cavendish)
  • Lied Es-Dur (Fragment)
• Sechs Lieder ohne Worte op. 19b:
  • E-Dur / E major, Andante con moto
  • a-Moll / A minor, Andante espressivo
  • A-Dur / A major, Molto Allegro e vivace
  • A-Dur / A major, Moderato
  • fis-Moll / F sharp minor, Piano agitato
  • Venetianisches Gondellied g-Moll / G minor, Andante sostenuto
• Sechs Lieder ohne Worte op. 30:
  • Es-Dur / E flat major, Andante espressivo
  • b-Moll / B flat minor, Allegro di molto
  • E-Dur / E major, Adagio non troppo
  • h-Moll / B minor, Agitato e con fuoco
  • D-Dur / D major, Andante grazioso
  • Venetianisches Gondellied fis-Moll / F sharp minor, Allegretto tranquillo
• Sechs Lieder ohne Worte op. 38:
  • Es-Dur / E flat major, Con moto 36
  • c-Moll / C minor, Allegro non troppo 40
  • E-Dur / E major, Presto e molto vivace 42
  • A-Dur / A major, Andante
  • a-Moll / A minor, Agitato 50
  • Duett As-Dur / A falt major, Andante con moto
• Sechs Lieder ohne Worte op. 53:
  • As-Dur / A flat major, Andante con moto
  • Es-Dur / E flat major, Allegro non troppo
  • g-Moll / G minor, Presto agitato
  • F-Dur / F major, Adagio
  • Volkslied a-Moll / A minor
  • A-Dur / A major, Molto Allegro vivace
• Sechs Lieder ohne Worte op. 62:
  • G-Dur / G major, Andante espressivo
  • B-Dur / B flat major, Allegro con fuoco
  • e-Moll / E minor, Andante maestoso
  • G-Dur / G major, Allegro con anima
  • Venetianisches Gondellied a-Moll / A minor, Andante con moto
  • A-Dur / A major Allegretto grazioso
• Sechs Lieder ohne Worte op. 67:
  • Es-Dur / E flat major, Andante
  • fis-Moll / F sharp minor, Allegro leggiero
  • B-Dur / B flat major, Andante tranquillo
  • C-Dur / C major, Presto
  • h-Moll / B minor, Moderato
  • E-Dur / E major, Allegretto non troppo
• Sechs Lieder ohne Worte op. 85:
  • F-Dur / F major, Andante espressivo
  • a-Moll / A minor, Allegro agitato
  • Es-Dur / E flat major, Presto
  • D-Dur / D major, Andante sostenuto
  • A-Dur / A major, Allegretto
  • B-Dur / B flat major, Allegretto con moto
• Sechs Lieder ohne Worte op. 102:
  • e-Moll / E minor, Andante un poco agitato
  • D-Dur / D major, Adagio
  • Kinderstuck C-Dur / C major, Presto
  • g-Moll / G minor, Andante un poco agitato
  • Kinderstuck A-Dur / A major, Allegro vivace
  • C-Dur / C major, Andante
• Appendix I - Individual Songs without Words:
  • Es-Dur / E flat major, Espressivo & Allegro (1828)
  • A-Dur / A major, Andante (1830)
  • a-moll / A minor op. 19b Nr. 2 (Fruhfassung / Early version) [Erstausgabe / First edition]
  • fis-Moll / F sharp minor, Allegro molto (1836)
  • A-Dur / A major, Allegretto (1837)
  • Gondellied A-Dur / A major, Allegretto non troppo (1841)
  • Ein Lied ohne Worte F-Dur / F major (ca. 1841)
  • D-Dur / D major, Allego assai (1843) [Erstausgabe / First edition]
  • Reiter-Lied d-Moll / D minor, Allegro vivace (1846)
  • A-Dur / A major op. 85 Nr. 5 (spatere Fassung / Later version) [Erstausgabe / First edition]
• Appendix II:
  • Lied Es-Dur / E flat major. Fragment, erganzt von / completed by R. Larry Todd [Erstausgabe / First edition]
• Critical Report