New Mendelssohn "Songs Without Words" by Levit

[Rach3]

For fans of SWW here:

https://slippedisc.com/2023/12/a-pianis ... rd-sleeve/

[maestrob]

For fans of SWW here:

https://slippedisc.com/2023/12/a-pianis ... rd-sleeve/

Excellent. I'll be buying this CD when it comes out.

[Belle]

This is great news!! Always looking out for something else from Levit and admiring his moral courage over antisemitism.

[Holden Fourth]

.....as for me I'll ignore the political and ethnic posturings and simply listen to the music. I've always loved the Lieder Ohne Worte.

[Belle]

It's not a 'pose'. Levit is himself a victim of antisemitism in Germany and the fact that he's chosen to record the music of another Jew, Mendelssohn - erased during the Third Reich - is worthy of note.

[Lance]

Levit's Mendelssohn should be on CD. Near as I can determine, they aren't yet. I love these little gems of Felix. He was like the Schubert of the voice only for piano only Schubert was, of course, more voluminous.

[Belle]

I couldn't get the Levit Mendelssohn but I bought his recently-released CD of the Liszt B Minor Sonata, Berg's Sonata and the Bach Chromatic Fantasie & Fugue at a fabulous CD shop on central Auckland!! Wow, I was lost in that shop for ages whilst the spouse waited patiently, actually helping me to look through everything. I brought the recordings home to Australia last night. Also bought the Oslo Philharmonic's complete Sibelius symphonies with Klaus Mäkelä. The shop didn't have the Ormandy Symphonic Dances from Rachmaninoff, unfortunately. I'll have to try and source that online.

[barney]

.....as for me I'll ignore the political and ethnic posturings and simply listen to the music. I've always loved the Lieder Ohne Worte.

Goodness! Why is concern about anti-semitism political or ethnic posturing? Anti-semitic incidents in Australia have risen by more than 800 per cent since October 7. A lot of Jewish people are terrified. Why would you not give a toss? Or indeed for people dying in Gaza? Every decent human being should be concerned.

[maestrob]

I couldn't get the Levit Mendelssohn but I bought his recently-released CD of the Liszt B Minor Sonata, Berg's Sonata and the Bach Chromatic Fantasie & Fugue at a fabulous CD shop on central Auckland!! Wow, I was lost in that shop for ages whilst the spouse waited patiently, actually helping me to look through everything. I brought the recordings home to Australia last night. Also bought the Oslo Philharmonic's complete Sibelius symphonies with Klaus Mäkelä. The shop didn't have the Ormandy Symphonic Dances from Rachmaninoff, unfortunately. I'll have to try and source that online.

I just checked my sources, and the hard copies of Levit's Mendelssohn have not yet been shipped. Presto does have the downloads, though, for those interested:



https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/s ... endelssohn

[CharmNewton]

The album is also available for download at Amazon. I listened to six or seven selections. It isn't an album I'd purchase. I what I heard, to me, his playing lacks grace and the singing quality one associates with songs and the pieces sound more like etudes than songs.

This isn't the complete Songs Without Words, but an album of selections.

John

[Belle]

The album is also available for download at Amazon. I listened to six or seven selections. It isn't an album I'd purchase. I what I heard, to me, his playing lacks grace and the singing quality one associates with songs and the pieces sound more like etudes than songs.

This isn't the complete Songs Without Words, but an album of selections.

John

Thank you for this heads-up! I would definitely want the complete Lieder Ohne Worte.

[Len_Z]

That's exactly what I suspected and feared. I love SWW, and don't think it's the right repertoire for Levit who never stroke me as a lyric. Would purchase the CD though, just to make sure I wasn't wrong and Levit hasn't pulled a true miracle out of his hat.

By the way, what is everybody's favorite rendition of SWW? Mine is by Livia Rev.

[Belle]

I've listened to selections of the Lieder from Levit and I must say I like most of them, though he plays them like Schubert but with more of a classically restrained edge. Reminded me of Kempff here. The image of the Star of David on the cover did move me, I have to say, as I have 110% affinity with the Jews. Levit's performance of this little lied is very gentle and tender. I would definitely buy his CD based on this and the others I've heard on YouTube, but Levit is definitely a Beethoven interpreter first and foremost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9y5WECf4IU

The rest of them are here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=O ... JLm3rNJaW4

I have Murray Perahia playing a limited selection of Lieder Ohne Worte and these are very fine indeed. Not all of these lieder from Mendelssohn are of a uniformly high quality, in my opinion.

[Lance]

I would get Levit's as well when they become available on CD though I sometimes question his "lyricism," as pointed out in another post. Your question, though, as to what everyone's favorite is - I suspect you are asking about complete sets. There are more "selections" CDs of the SWW than complete editions. Among my favorites of the complete sets is the one Greek pianist Rena Kyriakou did for Vox: right feeling/emotion/colors, right piano/acoustics, always leaving an indelible impression [Vox 5077, 2 CDs]. Another is by pianist Ania Dorfmann, but hers left me rather cold, recorded early on by RCA now on CD [RCA 39010]. One I expected more from is by Daniel Barenboim, but he didn't offer the sentiment and song-like character that I anticipated; these aren't just piano pieces, but really little diamonds. [DGG 423 931, 2 CDs]. Daniel Adni did a nice job with them, immediately appealing [EMI 69352, 2 CDs] and so did Ilse Von Alpenheim (in the top tier for me) on Philips [438 709, 2 CDs]. Roberto Prosseda has a keen interest in all of Mendelssohn's music and his SWW can be heard on [Italian Decca 481 5287, 10 CDs]. Livia Rev's recording I have enjoyed for a long time (since 2005) and would recommend them as complete sets go [Hyperion 22020, CDs]. The Walter Gieseking SWW has always been a staple for me, and I think he was at his best at this time [EMI 66675, and others in reissues] I think that's all I have of complete sets on CD and frankly, I have enough now to make me happy unless a complete set by Rubinstein or Moiseiwitsch shows up! If I had to live with just ONE set on that desert island for pure beauty and inspiration: Rena Kyriakou.

Insofar as those CDs with "selections" of the SWWs, Murray Perahia is at the top of my list, Bernd Glemser, Valerie Tryon, András Schiff, Wilhelm Backhaus, Alicia de Larrocha, and others, of which there are many, thankfully.

[...]By the way, what is everybody's favorite rendition of SWW? Mine is by Livia Rev.

[maestrob]

Andras Schiff, whose Decca recording has been a benchmark for me since it was first issued!

And Lance, I do agree that Rena Kyriakou is superb!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hLYPsEGcmM

[maestrob]

Thanks for those clips, Belle. I will hear them later on today.

[Belle]

Thanks for those clips, Belle. I will hear them later on today.

I've woken this morning with various aches and pains and with a birthday this Friday which is unwelcome in terms of what's already on the clock! But I'm listening to Levit's Mendelssohn lieder I posted here and I'm joyful and glad I'm alive. What's more important than family and the glorious musical legacy of the European world??!!! (And great film and literature too, of course.)

[barney]

Thanks for those clips, Belle. I will hear them later on today.

I've woken this morning with various aches and pains and with a birthday this Friday which is unwelcome in terms of what's already on the clock! But I'm listening to Levit's Mendelssohn lieder I posted here and I'm joyful and glad I'm alive. What's more important than family and the glorious musical legacy of the European world??!!! (And great film and literature too, of course.)

You left out single malt whisky!

[Belle]

Sorry, I didn't know they could be partnered!!

[Lance]

I would get Levit's as well when they become available on CD though I sometimes question his "lyricism," as pointed out in another post. Your question, though, as to what everyone's favorite is - I suspect you are asking about complete sets. There are more "selections" CDs of the SWW than complete editions. Among my favorites of the complete sets is the one Greek pianist Rena Kyriakou did for Vox: right feeling/emotion/colors, right piano/acoustics, always leaving an indelible impression [Vox 5077, 2 CDs]. Another is by pianist Ania Dorfmann, but hers left me rather cold, recorded early on by RCA now on CD [RCA 39010]. One I expected more from is by Daniel Barenboim, but he didn't offer the sentiment and song-like character that I anticipated; these aren't just piano pieces, but really little diamonds. [DGG 423 931, 2 CDs]. Daniel Adni did a nice job with them, immediately appealing [EMI 69352, 2 CDs] and so did Ilse Von Alpenheim (in the top tier for me) on Philips [438 709, 2 CDs]. Roberto Prosseda has a keen interest in all of Mendelssohn's music and his SWW can be heard on [Italian Decca 481 5287, 10 CDs]. Livia Rev's recording I have enjoyed for a long time (since 2005) and would recommend them as complete sets go [Hyperion 22020, CDs]. The Walter Gieseking SWW has always been a staple for me, and I think he was at his best at this time [EMI 66675, and others in reissues] I think that's all I have of complete sets on CD and frankly, I have enough now to make me happy unless a complete set by Rubinstein or Moiseiwitsch shows up! If I had to live with just ONE set on that desert island for pure beauty and inspiration: Rena Kyriakou.

Insofar as those CDs with "selections" of the SWWs, Murray Perahia is at the top of my list, Bernd Glemser, Valerie Tryon, András Schiff, Wilhelm Backhaus, Alicia de Larrocha, and others, of which there are many, thankfully.

[...]By the way, what is everybody's favorite rendition of SWW? Mine is by Livia Rev.

[barney]

Sorry, I didn't know they could be partnered!!

Sometimes it is essential! I need a good belt to listen to many minimalist works. So, purely to help my liver, I avoid the ones I find tedious in the extreme.

[Len_Z]

I would get Levit's as well when they become available on CD though I sometimes question his "lyricism," as pointed out in another post. Your question, though, as to what everyone's favorite is - I suspect you are asking about complete sets. There are more "selections" CDs of the SWW than complete editions. Among my favorites of the complete sets is the one Greek pianist Rena Kyriakou did for Vox: right feeling/emotion/colors, right piano/acoustics, always leaving an indelible impression [Vox 5077, 2 CDs]. Another is by pianist Ania Dorfmann, but hers left me rather cold, recorded early on by RCA now on CD [RCA 39010]. One I expected more from is by Daniel Barenboim, but he didn't offer the sentiment and song-like character that I anticipated; these aren't just piano pieces, but really little diamonds. [DGG 423 931, 2 CDs]. Daniel Adni did a nice job with them, immediately appealing [EMI 69352, 2 CDs] and so did Ilse Von Alpenheim (in the top tier for me) on Philips [438 709, 2 CDs]. Roberto Prosseda has a keen interest in all of Mendelssohn's music and his SWW can be heard on [Italian Decca 481 5287, 10 CDs]. Livia Rev's recording I have enjoyed for a long time (since 2005) and would recommend them as complete sets go [Hyperion 22020, CDs]. The Walter Gieseking SWW has always been a staple for me, and I think he was at his best at this time [EMI 66675, and others in reissues] I think that's all I have of complete sets on CD and frankly, I have enough now to make me happy unless a complete set by Rubinstein or Moiseiwitsch shows up! If I had to live with just ONE set on that desert island for pure beauty and inspiration: Rena Kyriakou.

Insofar as those CDs with "selections" of the SWWs, Murray Perahia is at the top of my list, Bernd Glemser, Valerie Tryon, András Schiff, Wilhelm Backhaus, Alicia de Larrocha, and others, of which there are many, thankfully.

[...]By the way, what is everybody's favorite rendition of SWW? Mine is by Livia Rev.

Thank you for such an interesting list.

Happy New Year for you and your loved ones!!!