Sonata in C minor for viola and piano (urtext) by Felix Mendelssohn
Urtext edition by Ernst Herttrich, with markings by Tabea Zimmermann. Published by Henle
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) is one of the most important German composers of the Romantic era. He was most comfortable composing in a charming, relatively conservative style influenced by the Classical period and free from many of the developing trends of the Romantic Era, while incorporating important innovations in many works. He also held a singular position in German musical life as the founder of the Leipzig Conservatory, a prominent conductor of the renowned Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and a seminal figure in the revival of the music and legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Mendelssohn's Viola Sonata in C minor is a rare example of a Romantic Era sonata written expressly for the instrument. He wrote it in 1823 at age 15, though it wasn't published until its rediscovery in 1966. His prodigious, youthful talent is on full display, showing ambition, technical prowess, and originality, especially in the remarkable theme-and-variations finale. It is presented here in a Henle urtext edition, containing marked and unmarked solo parts and critical and historical commentary. Intermediate-advanced level, Grade 4.
