MENDELSSOHN - Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13

Felix Mendelssohn: Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 1
Eric Tsai, violin
Jinyoung Yoon, violin
Hae Sue Lee, viola
Andres Sanchez, cello
Performed on Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Field Concert Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia
0:00 Adagio-Allegro vivace
8:45 Adagio non lento
18:15 Intermezzo: Allegretto con moto-Allegro di molto
23:22 Presto-Adagio non lento
Felix Mendelssohn put himself on the musical map with his string octet when he was only 16, but his chamber music output continued at a brisk pace throughout the rest of his teens. His second string quartet, Op. 13, came just two years later, and with it he demonstrated not only a prodigious virtuosity, but a deep well of maturity and creativity.
The piece draws on a variety of inspirations. The piece introduces itself with a quotation of a song Mendelssohn wrote the same year, Ist es wahr (“Is it true?”), concerning youthful and unrequited love. The question is asked tentatively at first before swelling into a dramatic and plaintive melody. Just as its intensity seems to wane, a viola trill spurs the group into the main body of the movement. From here, Mendelssohn draws on Beethoven in a dramatic sonata-form movement, its energy derived from a combination of vigor and complex counterpoint.
The slow movement harkens back to the Ist es wahr motif while also referencing the Cavatina of Beethoven’s Op. 130 quartet and the fugue of his Op. 95 quartet. The third movement, an Intermezzo, is Mendelssohn in his most lyrical mode. The furious opening of the final movement references the recitative from Beethoven’s Op. 132 quartet, before spilling into an Allegro section. Mendelssohn closes the quartet with an expanded version of the Ist es wahr material with which he began the first movement. After so much tumult and excitement and discord, the work ends in peace.

[@fransmeersman2334]

For me is this Mendelssohn's most beautiful string quartet and what a magnificent performance of the four musici. Thanks !

[@WarinPartita6]

Fabulous, folks. Encore, please!!

[@johnalexander6867]

wonderful music from the teenage Mendelssohn beatifully played by an excellent quartet. Thank you

[@saralola5437]

Why would anyone dislike this it’s a masterpiece

[@margiemoore1387]

They’re probably jealous lol

[@Ari-id5um]

Their fingers must’ve slipped 🤷🏽‍♀️it has to be the only reason

[@nafreen9731]

Beautiful, beautiful rendition. Spellbound for half an hour.

[@rhamel5147]

A bright, beaming sadness which encapsulates the living and dying we all do.

[@Nicole-ww4lg]

I played this piece about 20 years ago at a summer chamber music festival. Great performance

[@mjo5231]

this is a beautifully presented performance with all musicians perfectly working in sync to produce an uplifting and insprational peice. A very talented young quartet I hope to see more of them

[@cockhammer09]

Excellent performance in my opinion.I do hope they each have successful futures!

[@aliciabrown8132]

ok, this was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING

[@Claudia-nl3gm]

This is my favorite recording for this piece so far! Love your interpretation and youthful intensity!

[@christopherarnusch2511]

Wow! 7:45 really hits the spot!

[@PuddintameXYZ]

Ikr? So many other recordings lack the intensity this one gets here

[@cullywilcoxon9075]

What a lovely performance!, and on instruments that sound stupendously rich!

[@bobsgoodlife]

Such beauty and such an excellent written description!

[@oldbird4601]

0:01 Adagio - Allegro vivace
8:45 Adagio non lento
18:15 Intermezzo: Allegro con moto - Allegro di molto
23:22 Presto - Adagio non lento

[@karenv3494]

Beautiful performance! Bravo!!

[@SuperHajiwon]

Cyclic Form
The "is it true" theme of the first movement resounds in the last movement at the end
31:31

[@francoisasselin4183]

Magnifique! J'aime vraiment beaucoup la musique de Mendelssohn. Et ces artistes la jouent très bien. Merci!

[@esteban2596]

Amazing interpretation!

[@midoriyashounen5466]

This is amazing!

[@user-df2yg3jd2g]

נפלא. תודה

[@niccolo1017]

Excellent!

[@clittle7794]

Very nice!!!

[@alastairboles4437]

Wonderful

[@joshuadellinger8279]

23:42 Just realized this is a reference to 1st violin at the end of Mvt 4 of Beethoven's 15th quartet. The cello is also referencing the cello in Mvt 5 at 24:02

[@brunbratsche]

7:45 Viola's powerfull

[@michaelenns8872]

No wonder the melody in "music of memory" from Nicholas Maw sounds so beautiful ... because Nicholas didn't write it XD
but Mendelsohn did.

[@mmmicroplastics]

yeah that's the point

[@fatbish2.074]

Anyone else wondered why they turn the pages so aggressively? 😅

[@priscianusjr]

Because there's very little time to do it, and they really, really don't want to lose their place.

[@piers1871]

because they're cool.

[@georgewerther]

@@piers1871 love this reply!

[@KwanghoonChoi]

18:15

[@oldbird4601]

Bing