Felix Mendelssohn's songs are relatively unknown compared to those of Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms, although he wrote many. The reason may be that Mendelssohn's songs are generally not very weighty. The composer did not like to immerse himself in the dark side of man. He was very balanced and happy in his uncomplicated existence. Mendelssohn wrote his songs not so much for the concert hall as for
… the living room. After all, cozy family evenings with plenty of singing and music had always been important in the wealthy and cultural Mendelssohn family. Felix often sang and played with his sister Fanny, with whom he had a very strong bond. Her sudden death in 1847 was a huge shock to him, which perhaps hastened his own death a few months later. The soprano Sophie Daneman, baritone Stephan Loges and pianist Eugene Asti provide a particularly beautiful performance of Mendelssohn's songs and duets on this CD. Recommended. (CP)more
