"Album Leaf" – Piano Works by Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was a prominent composer, pianist, organist, conductor, teacher, altruistic and generous supporter of musicians and, according to Schumann, “the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the most brilliant musician, the one who most clearly sees through the contradictions of the age and for the first time reconciles them.”
The masterpieces on this album are not often recorded and most of them are rarely performed live. They demand virtuosic technique of the highest order, and at the same time are deeply emotional. They mesmerize by tremendous amount of nuances, sound textures and and coloration, ranging from poetic intimacy and serene meditation to tragedy and overwhelming drama.
Program

Fantasia in F-Sharp minor, Op. 28 (Sonate ecossaise)

Albumblatt (Album Leaf) in A minor, Op. 117, “Lied ohne Worte”

Caprice in A Minor, Op. 33 No. 1

Variations Serieuses

Three Etudes, Op. 104b: No. 1 in B-flat minor – Presto sempre

No. 2 in F major – Allegro con moto

No. 3 in A minor – Allegro vivace

Etude in F minor, WoO 1 – Presto agitato

Rondo Capriccioso in E major
“Agranovich is the great tragedian of the piano; she reaches deep inside the music to pull out emotions that others suggest but do not become personally involved in… Her feeling for tragedy makes the music sound almost overwhelming in its intensity.”
“Every note is imbued with feeling; indeed, the opening movement is so expressively played that you almost feel like crying, so deep is her emotional commitment…”
“She plays with rich detail, bringing out moments that pass the ears unnoticed in the hands of other players… a performing style that relishes the moment as much as the overall conception.”
I was deeply impressed by every piece on this album; as a whole, it presents a Mendelssohn recital you will not soon forget.”