Well, there's a lot to discover. If you like this work, I would strongly recommend his Second Symphony. Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 2 [Abbado, London Symphony Orchestra] th-cam.com/video/4Ie3_x429No/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=MengAhMengAh I mention this because not only do I believe it is a better work than this Reformation symphony, difficult as that is to believe, I think it's his symphonic masterpiece, it is something you probably won't hear a lot because I don't think it's one of his better-known works, works which include his 3rd and 4th symphonies, the Hebrides Overture, Violin concerto in e minor, incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, Octet in E-flat major(which he wrote at 16 years of age), St. Paul and Elijah Oratorios, arguably his two greatest masterpieces. Here's a couple of links to get you further along. Felix Mendelssohn - Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14 - Jan Lisiecki th-cam.com/video/SMbgwEB5_NI/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=MengAhMengAh And considering how the date is fast approaching at the end of the month, another great work of his, a masterpiece that is often overlooked, if not entirely unknown, his Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, the First Walpurgis Night. edit: My apologies, I thought Walpurgis Night was on the last night of May, but I just read it's actually on the last night of April going into May 1st, so I stand corrected. But nonetheless, it's still a great piece worth listening to, any time of the year. Mendelssohn die erste walpurgisnacht The Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi conductor th-cam.com/video/_7WmF_BWmV0/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=winkle522000winkle522000 And enjoy the journey of discovery, for although Felix Mendelssohn is regarded as one of the great composers, he is still greatly underrated as far as I am concerned.
He didn't take it from there; the common ascending six-note motif, present here and in Parsifal, where it serves as the leitmotif for the Holy Grail, is the so called "Dresden Amen" composed by J. G. Naumann in the 18th century and used since that time in the churches of Saxony. Both Mendelssohn and Wagner took it from there and several other composers (e.g. Bruckner) used it too. Which isn't to say that it in any way diminishes the greatness of this Mendelssohn Symphony!
This is a great performance and I loved it all the way up to the last movement which was played just a bit too fast and somewhat devoid of feeling, at least the opening part, in my humble opinion. But the rest was fantastic, one of the best performances I've heard.
Mendelssohn was not Richard Wagner. He wrote in fast, light tempos. Music needed to dance and approach the heavens in beams of light for him. That is the entire point. This is how the music was written.
@@eddihaskell I appreciate that, and I know it's a chorale introduction to a hymn written by Martin Luther, I'm just saying that I've heard what I would consider to be better interpretations of it. But like I also said, this is one of the best performances I have ever heard of this work as a whole, and I come back and listen to it whenever I want to hear this symphony. I would say I only know of two other performances I prefer. One I have on CD by Wolfgang Sawallich I believe, the other was a performance I saw here on YT a while back, but unfortunately I cannot remember who performed it to my great chagrin. I have actually just found a performance by James Levine which I really like, perhaps you can take a listen, particularly to the transition into the last movement, and tell me if you cannot hear a difference; to me the phrasing(the flute is smoother, more legato, less clipped, played with nuance), tone(a softer, more rounded, lush tone, fuller and richer too, particularly in the stings) and tempo(just a tad bit slower, it's barely noticeable but noticeable nonetheless making what I believe is a considerable difference; it doesn't feel rushed, they let the music breathe fully, take their time and hold the sustained notes) are all better there. I did NOT listen all the way through, but the little bits that I heard were all very good too. Mendelssohn: Symphony No.5 "Reformation" / James Levine (1996) th-cam.com/video/VvZn3ULCRdg/w-d-xo.html The last movement there starts at 20;38. Edit: The recording I have on CD is actually by Bernard Haitink, but Sawallach is pretty good too. And sadly, the link to the James Levine performance no longer works, or at least the video has been deleted. : (
@@mydogskips2 Thank you! This is one of my favorite symphonies. Let me share some of the versions I like with you. Note, I like the move nuanced and "romanticized" versions also. I will listen to your recommendations. Here are some Reformations that I like: The classic Charles Munch with Boston is the baseline for me. th-cam.com/video/krVCw_jgZqc/w-d-xo.html Francisco Valero-Terribas, a young Spanish conductor, did a stupendous rendition with RTVE (Spanish Radio and Television Orchestra) a few years ago. th-cam.com/video/LyT7ruaQXpM/w-d-xo.html Just for the heck of it, here is the very first classical music album (vinyl) I bought many years ago. This made me fall in love with the genre. I found it in a used record store. It is New York Philharmonic Orchestra from 1958 with Mitropoulos. More intense than the others. th-cam.com/video/Vbmz91cCphs/w-d-xo.html
@@mydogskips2 One more thing -- the tune at the end is "Ein Feste Berg ist Unsere Gott" (A Mighty Fortress is Our God). Luther himself wrote it between 1527 and 1529. It is called the "battle cry of the reformation". Luther sung it with his companions as they entered Worms for the Diet in 1521 according to Wiki. Bach wrote a catchy Cantata to it BMV 80. The UCLA Choir does a very nice version here: th-cam.com/video/wY5rfNet9zg/w-d-xo.html
@@eddihaskell Yes, I too really like the Charles Munch version, I saw a video here and even made a comment about having tears in my eyes(which I may have deleted, I don't remember), I listened to it on a day and time when I was going through some things and it just touched me deeply. It was also the first time I heard Charles Munch conducting. I had definitely heard of him before but never heard an actual recording of his, I was very impressed. I think someone told me he was from the same school(or at least had the same style) as George Szell, a conductor I really like, and I might tangentially mention that he, Szell, has recorded my favorite performances of Mendelssohn's 4th "Italian" Symphony, and the Hebrides Overture, they are both on the same CD under the Sony Classical label.
![แฟนแนวใด๋ - ยูริ โตเกียวมิวสิค [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4_XVMuhhbsU/mqdefault.jpg)
What a beautiful rendition of the introduction of the 1st movement!! Strings non vibrato sounds as they have to sound: solemn!
Bellissimo, pazzesco!
I am discovering Mendelssohn.
Well, there's a lot to discover. If you like this work, I would strongly recommend his Second Symphony.
Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 2 [Abbado, London Symphony Orchestra]
th-cam.com/video/4Ie3_x429No/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=MengAhMengAh
I mention this because not only do I believe it is a better work than this Reformation symphony, difficult as that is to believe, I think it's his symphonic masterpiece, it is something you probably won't hear a lot because I don't think it's one of his better-known works, works which include his 3rd and 4th symphonies, the Hebrides Overture, Violin concerto in e minor, incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, Octet in E-flat major(which he wrote at 16 years of age), St. Paul and Elijah Oratorios, arguably his two greatest masterpieces.
Here's a couple of links to get you further along.
Felix Mendelssohn - Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14 - Jan Lisiecki
th-cam.com/video/SMbgwEB5_NI/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=MengAhMengAh
And considering how the date is fast approaching at the end of the month, another great work of his, a masterpiece that is often overlooked, if not entirely unknown, his Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, the First Walpurgis Night.
edit: My apologies, I thought Walpurgis Night was on the last night of May, but I just read it's actually on the last night of April going into May 1st, so I stand corrected. But nonetheless, it's still a great piece worth listening to, any time of the year.
Mendelssohn die erste walpurgisnacht The Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi conductor
th-cam.com/video/_7WmF_BWmV0/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=winkle522000winkle522000
And enjoy the journey of discovery, for although Felix Mendelssohn is regarded as one of the great composers, he is still greatly underrated as far as I am concerned.
Me too
A Mighty Fortress is my GOD! Praise His HOLY NAME.
Psalm 91
Happy 500th Reformation Day !
Meh!
Wagner took Parsifal's Prelude from this first movement
He didn't take it from there; the common ascending six-note motif, present here and in Parsifal, where it serves as the leitmotif for the Holy Grail, is the so called "Dresden Amen" composed by J. G. Naumann in the 18th century and used since that time in the churches of Saxony. Both Mendelssohn and Wagner took it from there and several other composers (e.g. Bruckner) used it too. Which isn't to say that it in any way diminishes the greatness of this Mendelssohn Symphony!
😲 Thank you! I didn't know!!
This is a great performance and I loved it all the way up to the last movement which was played just a bit too fast and somewhat devoid of feeling, at least the opening part, in my humble opinion. But the rest was fantastic, one of the best performances I've heard.
Mendelssohn was not Richard Wagner. He wrote in fast, light tempos. Music needed to dance and approach the heavens in beams of light for him. That is the entire point. This is how the music was written.
@@eddihaskell I appreciate that, and I know it's a chorale introduction to a hymn written by Martin Luther, I'm just saying that I've heard what I would consider to be better interpretations of it.
But like I also said, this is one of the best performances I have ever heard of this work as a whole, and I come back and listen to it whenever I want to hear this symphony.
I would say I only know of two other performances I prefer. One I have on CD by Wolfgang Sawallich I believe, the other was a performance I saw here on YT a while back, but unfortunately I cannot remember who performed it to my great chagrin.
I have actually just found a performance by James Levine which I really like, perhaps you can take a listen, particularly to the transition into the last movement, and tell me if you cannot hear a difference; to me the phrasing(the flute is smoother, more legato, less clipped, played with nuance), tone(a softer, more rounded, lush tone, fuller and richer too, particularly in the stings) and tempo(just a tad bit slower, it's barely noticeable but noticeable nonetheless making what I believe is a considerable difference; it doesn't feel rushed, they let the music breathe fully, take their time and hold the sustained notes) are all better there. I did NOT listen all the way through, but the little bits that I heard were all very good too.
Mendelssohn: Symphony No.5 "Reformation" / James Levine (1996)
th-cam.com/video/VvZn3ULCRdg/w-d-xo.html
The last movement there starts at 20;38.
Edit: The recording I have on CD is actually by Bernard Haitink, but Sawallach is pretty good too.
And sadly, the link to the James Levine performance no longer works, or at least the video has been deleted. : (
@@mydogskips2 Thank you! This is one of my favorite symphonies. Let me share some of the versions I like with you. Note, I like the move nuanced and "romanticized" versions also. I will listen to your recommendations.
Here are some Reformations that I like:
The classic Charles Munch with Boston is the baseline for me.
th-cam.com/video/krVCw_jgZqc/w-d-xo.html
Francisco Valero-Terribas, a young Spanish conductor, did a stupendous rendition with RTVE (Spanish Radio and Television Orchestra) a few years ago.
th-cam.com/video/LyT7ruaQXpM/w-d-xo.html
Just for the heck of it, here is the very first classical music album (vinyl) I bought many years ago. This made me fall in love with the genre. I found it in a used record store. It is New York Philharmonic Orchestra
from 1958 with Mitropoulos. More intense than the others.
th-cam.com/video/Vbmz91cCphs/w-d-xo.html
@@mydogskips2 One more thing -- the tune at the end is "Ein Feste Berg ist Unsere Gott" (A Mighty Fortress is Our God). Luther himself wrote it between 1527 and 1529. It is called the "battle cry of the reformation". Luther sung it with his companions as they entered Worms for the Diet in 1521 according to Wiki. Bach wrote a catchy Cantata to it BMV 80. The UCLA Choir does a very nice version here:
th-cam.com/video/wY5rfNet9zg/w-d-xo.html
@@eddihaskell Yes, I too really like the Charles Munch version, I saw a video here and even made a comment about having tears in my eyes(which I may have deleted, I don't remember), I listened to it on a day and time when I was going through some things and it just touched me deeply. It was also the first time I heard Charles Munch conducting. I had definitely heard of him before but never heard an actual recording of his, I was very impressed. I think someone told me he was from the same school(or at least had the same style) as George Szell, a conductor I really like, and I might tangentially mention that he, Szell, has recorded my favorite performances of Mendelssohn's 4th "Italian" Symphony, and the Hebrides Overture, they are both on the same CD under the Sony Classical label.