Track Listing

1. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, transcription for piano (after J. S. Bach, BWV 645; Ten Chorale Preludes No. 2), KiV B27/2
2. Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland, transcription for piano (after J. S. Bach, BWV 659; Ten Chorale Preludes No. 3), KiV B27/3
3. Nun freut euch, lieben Christen, transcription for piano (after J. S. Bach, BWV 734; Ten Chorale Preludes No. 4), KiV B27/4
4. Ich ruf' zu dir, transcription for piano (after J.S. Bach, BWV 639; Ten Chorale Preludes No. 5), KiV B27/5
5. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 1, Op. 19b: No.3
6. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 6, Op. 67: No.2
7. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 2, Op. 30: No.4
8. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 1, Op. 19b: No.1
9. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 2, Op. 30: No.5
10. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 3, Op. 38: No.3
11. Song without Words for piano No. 47 in A major ('Kinderstück'), Op. 102/5
12. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 3, Op. 38: No.2
13. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 3, Op. 38: No.2
14. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 3, Op. 38: No.2
15. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 2, Op. 30: No.2
16. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 6, Op. 67: No.1
17. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 3, Op. 38: No.6
18. Songs without Words (6) for piano, Book 6, Op. 67: No.4
19. Song without Words for piano No. 22 in F major, Op. 53/4
20. Song without Words for piano No. 26 in B flat major, Op. 62/2
21. Auf dem Wasser zu singen, transcription for piano (after Schubert), S. 558/2 (LW A42/2)
22. In der Ferne, transcription for piano (after Schubert D. 957/6), S. 560/6, (LW A49/6)
23. Ständchen, Leise flehen meine Lieder, transcription for piano (after Schubert D. 957), S. 560/7 (LW A49/7)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59617 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 1999-11-16
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Amazon.com
The heart of this collection is 15 of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, those eternally lovely miniatures, well selected and played by Perahia with the lyrical sense the music needs. Too bad he didn't record them all. The disc opens with four of Busoni's Bach transcriptions, all organ chorale preludes based on sung hymns (hence the connection and the title). These, too, are well done, very clear and fleet and with impressive agility in "Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein." The conclusion is four of Liszt's brilliant arrangements of Schubert songs, again played with wonderful lyricism and some high drama that indicates Perahia knows the original songs and their texts very well. Despite the title, the album isn't totally congruent, but everything on it is well worth hearing. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews

A wonderful program of delightful and important music
This disk is a bit of a rarity in modern recording. It isn't a disk of a single work or series of works. It isn't the WHOLE of the Mendelssohn "Songs Without Words". Instead it opens with four of the wonderful Busoni transcriptions of Bach organ preludes. Perahia played these four here in Ann Arbor along with the Bach "Goldberg Variations" and it was a GREAT night. His playing here is at its most poetic and is full of colors (don't mistake this for being colorful in the sense of being eccentric - think rather in terms of a rich palette of sounds).

The middle section has 15 of the best of the Mendelssohn "Songs Without Words". I know that many think him not one of the great ones and that Mendelssohn's reputation has slipped in the past thirty years. But I think this is very wrong. I urge you to get to know his music and to try and hear it with fresh ears. These pieces are a very nice place to start. There is a great deal to love in these pieces and if you can play the piano dust off this music and play them. They are much fun and reward the effort.

The disk ends with four Liszt transcriptions of Schubert Lieder. Well, I know and love these pieces and have peformed the "Staendchen" several times. It is WONDERFUL. These performances of these transcriptions show off the genius of three wonderful musicians - Schubert and Liszt and Perahia. "Auf dem Wasser zu singen" is one of my favorite songs.

You might want to pick up the first volume of the Ian Bostridge recordings of the Schubert songs to here the originals of some of these and to read the words. Very moving and Liszt does a lot to tell their story with his transcriptions. It isn't just for show show, even if it does add to the original. But this was authentic nineteenth century performance practice.

Perahia is never a showy pianist, but he always seems to have all the virtuosity he needs. He never seems to be walking a tightrope and teasing us that he might fall. Instead he overwhelms us with his poetic heart and lyrical playing. He has power, but like all great pianists he makes us feel he has more in reserve (he may not, but he never sounds like he is hitting the wall). And he doesn't ever make ugly sounds on the piano. I love his playing. I have been fortunate to hear him play live several times over the past couple of decades and it has always been a complete delight. Just like this wonderful disk.

Lyrical Masterpieces Played with Wonderful Discernment
I didn't know what to expect when I bought this recording, since I had only heard one of the twenty three selections presented here before. Overall I found it to be a true revelation, and I've listened to it many times since with growing pleasure. In selecting these pieces, it seems that Perahia has given himself a well-deserved break from taking on heavyweight interpretations of Handel and Bach, and a relaxed, unselfconscious pleasure shines through in his playing. With his understated elegance and crystalline tone, you couldn't ask for a better interpreter.

Although the recording is named after the selections from the Mendelssohn pieces of the same name, the real highlights for me are the Bach and Schubert transcriptions done by Busoni and Liszt respectively. With the Bach you have some glorious organ works infused with subtle touches of late-nineteenth century romanticism, which fleshes them out just a little without diminishing their highly refined qualities. All four selections are serene masterpieces, beautifully executed. The Schubert transcriptions however, are a wonder, pure and simple. I don't know Schubert's songs, but have most of his Sonatas and all of his Impromptus and Moments Musicaux. With these four pieces, I feel like I've discovered another set of Impromptus, because they have all the unbounded lyricism and deceptive mood changes that make the Impromptus such masterpieces. It seems to me that Liszt remained very faithful to the spirit and sublime simplicity of Schubert's melodies here, eschewing the romantic flourishes and breathtaking technical demands that characterize his own compositions. Once I heard these pieces, I was reminded too that Perahia is a superb exponent of Schubert, with his recording of the Impromptus being among the very best. The Mendelssohn complements the other selections very well, and I'm glad this recording introduced me to them, but they are comparatively light compared to the Bach and Schubert transcriptions. They seem to fall somewhere between Chopin's Nocturnes and some of his Etudes and Preludes, but on the whole they don't have the same kind of atmospheric drama that Chopin could conjure forth in the space of a few minutes. Still, I can't really fault Mendelssohn here simply because he's not quite a Bach, a Schubert, or a Chopin. So buy this recording--it's incredibly soothing and meditative without being in any way superficial, and it'll bring a lot of listening pleasure.

Perahia plays Bach - no other recommendation needed
After the first 4 tracks, where Murray Perahia plays 4 Bach transcriptions of organ preludes to cantatas, the rest of the CD is just a bonus.

Perahia plays Bach with as much feeling and love as anyone alive or dead, in my opinion. The first two pieces are played with quiet dignity. The third track shows Perahia's dexterity and finger speed - I'd like to hear that on the organ! Back to peace and tranquility on the fourth track - and I haven't gotten to Mendelssohn yet, since I keep 'rewinding' the CD!