Composer

:

Felix Mendelssohn

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Fugue

Compose Date

:

Jan 6, 1835 - Oct 7, 1836

Publication Date

:

1837

Felix Mendelssohn's Prelude & Fugue for piano in A flat major, Op. 35/4, was composed in 1837 and premiered in Leipzig the same year. The piece is part of a set of six preludes and fugues, Op. 35, which Mendelssohn dedicated to his friend and fellow composer Ignaz Moscheles. The Prelude & Fugue in A flat major is the fourth in the set and is characterized by its lyrical and expressive qualities. The prelude begins with a gentle and flowing melody in the right hand, accompanied by a simple arpeggiated pattern in the left. The melody gradually builds in intensity, with the left hand providing a more complex accompaniment, before reaching a climax and subsiding into a peaceful coda. The fugue that follows is a complex and intricate piece, with a subject that is introduced in the bass and then taken up by the other voices in turn. Mendelssohn employs a variety of contrapuntal techniques, including inversion, augmentation, and stretto, to create a rich and intricate texture. The fugue reaches a climax with a powerful statement of the subject in the upper register of the piano, before subsiding into a quiet coda. Overall, Mendelssohn's Prelude & Fugue in A flat major is a masterful example of his skill as a composer and his ability to combine technical complexity with expressive beauty. The piece is a testament to his love of the keyboard and his deep understanding of the possibilities of the piano as an instrument.

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