The organ lesson: Mendelssohn Organ Sonata 2 first movement op. 65

Learning to play the organ. This episode looks at the first movement of a Mendelssohn Sonata. Performance of this movement starts here: • The organ lesson: Mend...
This episode was recorded in Sola Chapel (formerly Sola Church) in Norway. Details of the organ can be found on ryde-berg.no/o... .
The series is presented by Dr Tim Rishton www.rishton.eu

[@martinholcik1597]

Thank you for doing this!! What an inspiration to learn and practice new music.

[@timrishton5871]

Thanks for the lovely comment. Enjoy your practicing! Tim

[@Thueringerorgel]

Großartig - bitte mehr davon!

[@timrishton5871]

Danke! Tim

[@petertyrrell3391]

For me the lento feels more like an Allegro moderato and the following movement a 4/8 Allegretto if we read the metronome marks as we do today. There is a lot of evidence to demonstrate that MMs outside the Anglophone countries were read 2 for 1, i.e. you take the forward AND backswing as one unit, so the Grave is actually counted 1/8th. note = 69, and it then really is Grave. The MM mark read in this way makes more sense with the speed indications - the last movement of the D major sonata really becomes an Allegro maestoso in 4/4 as it is then closer to the Tempo ordinario, rather than a fearsome 2/2 prestissimo.

[@timrishton5871]

I take your point about different ways of notating metronome marks. But not in this sonata, I feel, for two reasons. Firstly, Mendelssohn is quite specific in his markings: crotchet=69 and quaver=72. Secondly, the marking for the second movement (crotchet=92) is actually quite slow: half that speed would be unbearable; and for the fugue, crotchet=132 seems fairly comfortable - again, half that speed would be absurd. The last movement of the D major, at crotchet=126 is certainly brisk - just as Mendelssohn is described as liking his tempi - but manageable: I think that half that speed would feel ponderous. But your point that some composers' metronome markings need approaching with caution is certainly good. Tim

[@petertyrrell3391]

@@timrishton5871 I think a slower speed for the D major sonata, last movement, brings out a cantabile and melancholy character of the second page (it reminds me of a chorus in Elijah), respects the maestoso and 4/4 time signature, otherwise it sounds phrenetic when the triplets start. For the C major fugue, once the constant quavers start, this shows the same problem, and is no longer really Allegro moderato. Allegro maestoso e vivace is a strange indication; Czerny writes that the character of Allegro vivace is lots of staccato and accents, but I see lots of slurs; Czerny, who was writing about this time, admittedly of an earlier period, says that Allegro moderato means more slurs and legato. I seem to remember a quote of Mendelssohn, that he played fast so that mistakes would be less obvious!

[@timrishton5871]

@@petertyrrell3391 Playing fast so that mistakes would be less obvious is a temptation to us all! The quote is a well-known one: it was Richard Wagner who said of Mendelssohn’s orchestral conducting that: “Personally, he told me several times with regard to conducting that too slow a tempo was the most damaging and that he always recommended taking something too fast; a truly good performance was something rare at any time; but one could deceive about it if one only made sure that not much of it was noticed, and this was best done by not dwelling on it for long, but by passing over it quickly.” But then again, Wagner really couldn’t stand Mendelssohn, so he was a bit biassed. But Hans von Bülow, writing about his lessons from Mendelssohn, says that he was told to play “only brisk, fresh, always forwards, and that the tempi of his pieces are usually taken far too slowly by today’s conductors”. Robert Schumann makes some stray comments along the same lines. Regarding that D major movement, I remember discussing that very issue with a student a few years ago, who was stressing with the triplets. I took him to the window and showed him the river that was flowing past, and suggested he thought of that. There was a huge volume of water passing by - and flowing reasonably quickly - but the overall effect was very calm and purposeful: there was no sense of rushing. I told him to play it like that, which he said afterwards was a helpful analogy.

[@JSB2500]

This may not be a useful comment Tim, but I intend to work on imitating that violin at 17:08 - specifically the pitch profile - the way the pitch rises from slightly flat up to the nominal pitch three times, and then vibrates either side of the nominal pitch by pretty much switching between two pitches (toggling the tip-most finger joint I think). I've not managed to make that sound yet. Anyway, I like very much your approach of studying other Mendelssohn pieces to help work out how to perform his organ sonatas.

[@timrishton5871]

Thanks for that - and good luck making it work! Yes, I always like to turn to other genres, either to get general inspiration or for insights into how a composer operates. It's easier, somehow, when you're not thinking specifically about the organ. Tim

[@petertyrrell3391]

Why don't you go through the Brahms chorale preludes much as you did with the Orgelbuechlein?

[@timrishton5871]

Really good idea - I'd love to!