Mendelssohn - Songs Without Words #40, Op. 85 no. 4

With spring here, I can now start working on the piano in the sanctuary in my church without wearing gloves.

Here's one of the "Songs Without Words" -- # 40 "Andante sostenuto" Op. 85 no. 4.

Scott

Mendelssohn - Songs without Words - Op. 85 No.4 : Andante Sostenuto (4:23)

 

I'm not a connaisseur of these songs without words, but this one is beautiful and your sounds like a heartfelt performance. I could not find any fault with it. I'll put it up later.

BTW I meant to ask : Do frogs really burp ? Bad-mannered creatures.. hopefully it's only after eating or drinking.
I love them all though, and can't wait until they burp in chorus all night long. We live next to farmland with ditches, and the frog noise can be overpowering in summer. My wife says she hates it, but they can't burp loud enough for me

Sorry, bit OT....

 

This one is up !

 

Thanx Chris.

Midwest US frogs belch more than burp, but that didn't rhyme with chirp.

Scott

 

Interesting ! I guess they drink more beer :wink:

 

Monica,

It is an old Baldwin that needs some TLC. I have a little more about it on the Schumann "After Life" topic (since I went there first).

Scott

 

Hi RSPIll,

I enjoyed your performance of this elegy. I too have recorded it, so know the music well. You've played it very lyrically with deep feeling.

 

Thanx Rach,

I never did much Mendelssohn in the past so I started messing around with these. They are short enough that my ADD doesn't get in the way. Also, some are useable in church.

This one I am not completely satisfied with since my accompaniment seems to take over, but that is more a problem of this piano (which unfortunately is one of the best here in Hooterville).

Scott

 

Hooterville.... the Home of the Big Bazooms ? Sounds good

 

Hi Scott, beautiful and very devoted playing! I don't know this piece well, but if I'm allowed to nitpick: During listening I thought your touch is constantly so weighted that the difference between the musical climax and the other parts would become a bit obscure (Do you understand what I mean? what a obscure sentence... ) So I'd like to suggest to economize the weighted touch and the heartfelt feeling on "the other parts" and to explode it on the climax.

 

Hi Hye-Jin,

Thanx for listening. I fully agree with you. Part of the problem is that this piano (a Baldwin 5'7" grand that I looked up yesterday and found that it was built between 1930 and 1940) has hammers that have been compressed over the years of use. There are actually a couple of notes in this recording that didn't sound because of trying to hold back the weight. I also had the una corda partially depressed throughout to get some felt on the strings.

I unfortunately had to give up my 6' Yamaha grand a few years back because it was defining where I could live, and I was moving around a bit, so for an acoustic piano I have to rely on what is available.

Scott

 

Oh, your piano was the problem! Then it's amazing to be able to play so well on such an unreliable instrument :!: Anyway, have much fun with spring

 

What do frogs say everytime after punching in a sheet metal fasteners?

Ribbet!

:roll:

 

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking with it. :wink:

 

Hi Scott. I really liked your interpretation, which is very nice and soft.
I didn't know this piece yet, but really appreciated it. Thanks for making me discover it ^^

Henri

 

Thanx Henri for listening.

I had never really paid much attention to these Mendelssohn pieces until recently. I downloaded the set from IMSLP and started looking through them because they weren't too long. I was also looking to see where there were holes in recordings of various composers on PS.

Anyway, I rather liked this and it was usable for part of my prelude at church. I'm now looking at some of the others.

Scott

 

Yes I've played some of them before the service once too. The slow ones are well suited, and people always like them.

 

Of course, there is one in the whole set that I can never play. I tried playing through it yesterday but had difficulty with my gag reflexes.

"Which one could that be??", you ask. That would be op. 62 no. 6 or the "Hearts and Flowers" theme played on violins during old silent films.

Actually, even though the pieces are rather compact, they offer several challenges among them. Many or not unlike short etudes in that they generally are built on one primary technique throughout a particular piece.

Scott

 

Hi Scott, a very enjoyable and musical performance. Baldwin is a fantastic instrument. Don't worry, a piano technician can soften up those hammers with pins. It will give you a smoother timbre, deepen the tone a bit, and will feel more expressive to play on. Great piece of music.

George