HDM in Concert: Mendelssohn - Streichquartette I
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Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s String Quartets, Op. 44, were composed during a happy period in his life. In 1837, the composer – having outgrown his status as a child prodigy and having attained a leading position in European musical life as Kapellmeister at the Leipzig Gewandhaus – married Cécile Jeanrenaud, the daughter of a pastor; it was a marriage of love, as was already the norm in artistic circles at the time. The pieces are dedicated to Crown Prince Oskar of Sweden, a patron of the arts. They are fine examples of the unique artistry of their creator, who drew inspiration from tradition to forge something new. At the beginning of the theme in the first movement of the E minor quartet, for instance, Mendelssohn quotes the opening of the finale from Mozart’s great G minor symphony and later pays homage to Beethoven as well. Yet his unmistakable, ethereal elegance often prevails in the three pieces. Playful details, combined with a constant sense of tension, characterise these works, which are, in essence, full of joie de vivre. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
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