Felix Mendelssohn Die erste Walpurgisnacht Ouvertüre

Aus gegebenem Anlass! Heia Walpurgisnacht!
Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847)
Weltliche Kantate nach J.W. von Goethe
Die erste Walpurgisnacht
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
The Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Arnold Schoenberg Chor

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mendelssohn
• die
• erste
• walpurgisnacht
• weltliche
• kantate
• harnoncourt
• chamber
• orchestra
• of
• europe

[flyvefisken]

Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht) is a traditional religious holiday of pre-Christian origin, celebrated today by Christian and non-Christian communities as well, on April 30 or May 1 in large parts of Central and Northern Europe.[1] - Wikipedia

[mutewoman]

Thanks, Per, for clearing this up - maybe one should add that it is mostly celebrated now by feminists, neo-witches and the like, at least to my knowledge.

[munichlady]

Mögen wir WeiseFrauen immer das Leid der Welt lindern.

Blessed be.

[mutewoman]

That's about the idea, although I am into this only once a year on Walpurgisnacht :)

[thecornersofmyfield]

A choral masterpiece, Mendelssohn composed music to Goethe's poem "Die Erste Walpurgisnacht. " The poem, intended to expose Christian hypocrisy quotes the costumed pagans on Walpurgisnacht saying, "Let's scare them (the Christians) with the Devil they themselves created!"

[darkblueangel1956]

Eccellente lettura del grande Harnoncourt, con un equilibrio strutturale che concede largo spazio al linguaggio appassionato e vibrante di Mendelssohn, ma senza essere infuocato, da divorare gli elementi portanti o la linea melodica fondamentale. Non so definire quanto sia realmente filologica questa interpretazione, ma è decisamente tra le più intense e qualitativamente alte che si possano ascoltare, essendo questa, una pagina enigmatica e complessa dell'ultimo periodo creativo dell'Autore !!!

[darkblueangel1956]

Eccellente lettura del grande Harnoncourt, con un equilibrio strutturale che concede largo spazio al linguaggio appassionato e vibrante di Mendelssohn, ma senza essere infuocato, da divorare gli elementi portanti o la linea melodica fondamentale. Non so definire quanto sia realmente filologica questa interpretazione, ma è decisamente tra le più intense e qualitativamente alte che si possano ascoltare, essendo questa, una pagina enigmatica e complessa del primo periodo creativo dell'Autore !!!

[ChuckyJesus666]

Here is Mendelssohn's "score" Pagans: 36; Christians: 0

[blatpbla]

ich bin ein Hater !!!!!

[windstorm1000]

Well, the Christians, as usual, turned a sacred celtic/druidic holiday (Beltane--May 1) and made it into a evil witches deal to discredit paganism. So typical--we know better now (I think). There are other examples--Halloween, etc. But Mendelsohn's music is incredible none the less---very atmospheric. He was really a genius.

[findedich23]

ja, wir feiern heute Walpurgis (und morgen Beltane) mit Tanz und Trommeln auf einer Berghütte. Danke für das Posting, super Einstimmung!

[julienbencze]

By listening to this (and other M.'s ouvertures, The Hebrides, The Fair Melusine, symphonies (2nd,3rd, 5th) I understand why Wagner was OBSESSED by Mendelssohn. I.e.the part between 3:32 and 4:56 is completly future wagnerian style. This ouverture is also a resumé of Mendelssohn's music. I would distinguish 2 elements:

[julienbencze]

On the one hand, the unique ability and intelligence of assimilation and perfect synthesis of previous and supposedly contradictory styles: Bach, pre-romantic Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, early Italian romantics: Puccini, Rossini. On the other hand, the genius of Mendelssohn, which enables the composer to create new sounds that will definitely mark the whole romantic and even modern eras in Germany, in Scandinavia, in Central Europe, in Russia, and in England /United States.

[julienbencze]

Therefore Mendelssohn's style does not really belong to a period, his music is timeless. I remember when I used to sing some of his beautiful lieder as a child. Contrary to other composers' music we use to sing, with M. I couldn't tell if these were of baroque, classical, romantic or modern style!! You feel you are in Bach's world, and next measure you switch to a Broadway Musical from the 50's