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Mendelssohn – Lieder ohne Worte (I)
Books 1-4
Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano)
Initially I was not entirely convinced by the modern copy of an 1830 Pleyel...But soon I was relishing the clarity and sheer beauty of the sound and, for the most part, of Ronald Brautigam playing....
Mendelssohn – Lieder ohne Worte (I)
Books 1-4
Ronald Brautigam (fortepiano)
Purchase product
Initially I was not entirely convinced by the modern copy of an 1830 Pleyel...But soon I was relishing the clarity and sheer beauty of the sound and, for the most part, of Ronald Brautigam playing....
About
Ronald Brautigam here performs the first four books of Felix Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words (Lieder ohne Worte).
If claims could be made for a composer to have invented a genre single-handedly, Mendelssohn would be a strong candidate with his ‘Songs Without Words’ - short lyrical pieces for the piano using a song-like structure. They were immediately popular across Europe, and were imitated by several composers, including Robert Schumann.
One of today’s leading fortepiano players, Ronald Brautigam has released complete sets of piano music by Mozart and Haydn, and is currently recording a highly regarded series of the solo piano works by Beethoven.
Contents and tracklist
Work length14:03
- Ronald Brautigam
- Recorded: August 2011
- Recording Venue: Osteraker Church, Sweden
No. 1 in E Major, Op. 19b, No. 1, MWV U86
Track length2:41
No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 19b, No. 2, MWV U80
Track length2:25
No. 3 in A Major, Op. 19b, No. 3, MWV U89, "Jagerlied"
Track length2:13
No. 4 in A Major, Op. 19b, No. 4, MWV U73
Track length1:57
No. 5 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 19b, No. 5, MWV U90
Track length2:39
No. 6 in G Minor, Op. 19b, No. 6, MWV U78, "Venezianisches Gondellied"
Track length2:08
Work length15:33
- Ronald Brautigam
- Recorded: August 2011
- Recording Venue: Osteraker Church, Sweden
No. 7 in E-Flat Major, Op. 30, No. 1, MWV U103
Track length3:40
No. 8 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 30, No. 2, MWV U77
Track length1:56
No. 9 in E Major, Op. 30, No. 3, MWV U104
Track length1:49
No. 10 in B Minor, Op. 30, No. 4, MWV U98
Track length2:34
No. 11 in D Major, Op. 30, No. 5, MWV U97
Track length2:44
No. 12 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 30, No. 6, MWV U110, "Venezianisches Gondellied"
Track length2:50
Work length13:37
- Ronald Brautigam
- Recorded: August 2011
- Recording Venue: Osteraker Church, Sweden
No. 13 in E-Flat Major, Op. 38, No. 1, MWV U121
Track length2:06
No. 14 in C Minor, Op. 38, No. 2, MWV U115
Track length1:58
No. 15 in E Major, Op. 38, No. 3, MWV U107
Track length1:55
No. 16 in A Major, Op. 38, No. 4, MWV U120
Track length2:17
No. 17 in A Minor, Op. 38, No. 5, MWV U137
Track length2:15
No. 18 in A-Flat Major, Op. 38, No. 6, MWV U119, "Duetto"
Track length3:06
Work length15:00
- Ronald Brautigam
- Recorded: August 2011
- Recording Venue: Osteraker Church, Sweden
No. 19 in A-Flat Major, Op. 53, No. 1, MWV U143
Track length2:49
No. 20 in E-Flat Major, Op. 53, No. 2, MWV U109
Track length2:30
No. 21 in G Minor, Op. 53, No. 3, MWV U144
Track length2:22
No. 22 in F Major, Op. 53, No. 4, MWV U114
Track length2:08
No. 23 in A Minor, Op. 53, No. 5, MWV U153, "Volkslied"
Track length2:39
No. 24 in A Major, Op. 53, No. 6, MWV U154
Track length2:32
Mendelssohn:
Lied ohne Worte in E-Flat Major, MWV U68
Work length2:12
- Ronald Brautigam
- Recorded: August 2011
- Recording Venue: Osteraker Church, Sweden
Mendelssohn:
Andante in A Major
Work length1:13
- Ronald Brautigam
- Recorded: August 2011
- Recording Venue: Osteraker Church, Sweden
Mendelssohn:
Lieder ohne Worte (Songs without Words), Book 1, Op. 19b [early version]
Work length2:12
- Ronald Brautigam
- Recorded: August 2011
- Recording Venue: Osteraker Church, Sweden
Lieder ohne Worte [Songs without Words], Book 1, Op. 19b: No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 19b, No. 2, MWV U80 [early version]
Track length2:12
Mendelssohn:
Lied ohne Worte (Song without Words) in F-Sharp Minor, MWV U124
Work length2:15
- Ronald Brautigam
- Recorded: August 2011
- Recording Venue: Osteraker Church, Sweden
Mendelssohn:
Allegretto in A Major, MWV U138
Work length3:01
- Ronald Brautigam
- Recorded: August 2011
- Recording Venue: Osteraker Church, Sweden
Awards and reviews
March 2013
Initially I was not entirely convinced by the modern copy of an 1830 Pleyel...But soon I was relishing the clarity and sheer beauty of the sound and, for the most part, of Ronald Brautigam playing. He is, without any doubt, one of the finest pianists around, and his despatch of Mendelssohn's fastest pieces is thrilling.
March 2013
a rare opportunity to hear some of the composer's most beloved works as he might have heard them...There is, of course, much to savour and admire...but I miss the modern grand piano's sustained, singing tone
April 2013
Ronald Brautigam’s Mendelssohn is so good it’s easy not to notice how good it is. That is, this playing feels so natural, so effortless, so perfectly songlike (cantabile!) that it’s tempting to think, “why wouldn’t the music sound like this?” ..This Mendelssohn breathes like a living thing...If you don’t think a fortepiano can sing, think again. A superb recital.
