Mendelssohn - Rondo Capriccioso op. 14 (1830)

For the CSM 2021 Piano Festival.
Mendelssohn originally had written the Rondo Capriccioso as an etude in 1828 and the introductory Adagio section wouldn't be added for another 3 years. In a letter he sent to his sister, the story behind the Adagio was explained as an attempt to court the pianist Delphine Schauroth: "She has commanded me, under pain of one disgrace or another, to edit the great 6/8 Rondo Capriccioso in e minor. So, I have tastily cooked it up with a stirring introductory Adagio, some new melodies and passages, and I have been successful. Now I just have to write it out and present it to her; I also want to earn my 20 Thaler, so it will be published shortly” (June 11 1830). He finished the score 2 days later on June 13 and it would be sent to Leipzig for publishing later that year.