Mendelssohn: Mailied, 'Ich weiss mir'n Mädchen'

These informal choral songs are best sung by a small ensemble to achieve the right tone. The experienced Vocal Concert Dresden has been acclaimed for their masterful stylistic approach. The result speaks for itself and it will be surprising if this recording is not considered as a benchmark in this genre. The booklet includes letters between Fanny and Felix.

Between 1964 and 1994, Georg Ratzinger, the brother of the present Pope, was the musical director of the world famous boys’ choir known as the Regensburger Domspatzen. Beginning with music by Hans Leo Hassler and Orlando di Lasso, this selection of the choir’s recordings touches on all periods of musical development with baroque (Lully), classical (Mozart), and some of the great 19th century romantics (Schubert, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Rheinberger). The disc concludes with a group of arrangements of well-known German folksongs.

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was the last great 19th century composer whose works were not completely listed. In the Mendelssohn anniversary year of 2009 this loophole has been closed thanks to the publishing of the Leipzig Edition of the works of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy by the Saxon Academy of Sciences in Leipzig. It was only in 2007/2008, as a result of research work that the musical public first gained awareness of among other pieces, 61 of a total of 115 songs composed for voice and piano.

The "forgotten" songs included in this CD date from throughout the composer’s entire creative period, and demonstrate superbly the many facets, colours and richness of ideas of his musical creations.

The songs have been combined with a completely different artistic genre, one which was Mendelssohn’s own: the songs without words - lyrical piano pieces with vocal style melodies.

"This project was most appealing to Gitti and myself. We were aware of the existence, albeit fragmental, of some unpublished songs, but we were absolutely astonished when as a result of the complete Mendelssohn Edition a entirely new volume of Lieder came to light. We played and sang through the works with great enthusiasm and the thrill that comes from exploring, selected some of them, and took great joy in recording the ones we had chosen." Klaus Mertens

This album is a treasure trove for music lovers and performers alike.

The recording was made using the songs as published by Bärenreiter: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Lieder für hohe und mittlere Stimme und Klavier (Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, songs for high and medium voice and piano). Edited by Eugene Asti, Bärenreiter Edition, Kassel 2008 (BA 9085).