Composer

:

Felix Mendelssohn

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Fugue

Compose Date

:

ca. Jan 11, 1835

Publication Date

:

1989

Average_duration

:

3:42

Felix Mendelssohn's Fugue for organ, 4 hands in C minor (Attwood Fugue No. 1) was composed in 1820 when Mendelssohn was just 11 years old. The piece was premiered in the same year at the Berlin Singakademie, where Mendelssohn was a student. The Fugue consists of three movements: an opening fugue, a slow middle section, and a final fugue. The opening fugue is in C minor and features a four-voice texture. The subject is introduced by the first player and then imitated by the second player. The subject is then developed and passed between the two players, with each voice entering in turn. The middle section is in C major and features a more lyrical melody. The final fugue returns to C minor and features a more complex texture, with the two players often playing in close imitation of each other. The Fugue is notable for its technical demands, particularly in the final fugue. The two players must coordinate closely to execute the complex counterpoint and rapid passagework. The piece also demonstrates Mendelssohn's early mastery of counterpoint and his ability to create complex textures and harmonies. Overall, the Fugue for organ, 4 hands in C minor (Attwood Fugue No. 1) is a remarkable achievement for a composer of such a young age. It demonstrates Mendelssohn's early talent and foreshadows the great works he would go on to compose later in his career.

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