MENDELSSOHN

‘Mendelssohn’ explores three facets of one of the most famous names in classical music: the glittering Piano Concerto No.1 by Felix with the London Mozart Players; the long-lost ‘Easter Sonata’ by his sister Fanny as well as transcriptions by other composers of Mendelssohn’s most famous music. In 2024, Isata featured in the critically acclaimed film ‘The Other Mendelssohn’, exploring the life of the exceptionally talented by overlooked Fanny Mendelssohn, later Fanny Hensel. In the film, they uncover the fact that the Easter Sonata, a piece lost for 150 years, was in fact written by Fanny, not Felix. Isata was the first artist to perform the work attributed to the correct composer. The album features this world premiere recording of the new urtext edition of Fanny Mendelssohn’s Easter Sonata. As well as beautiful solo piano transcriptions by Liszt (‘On Wings of Song’) and Rachmaninov (‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’), and two of Felix’s ‘Songs Without Words’ and Fanny’s ‘Nocturne’, also for solo piano.

Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
I. Molto allegro con fuoco
II. Andante
III. Presto – Molto allegro e vivace

Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 61: I. Scherzo (Transcr. Rachmaninoff for Piano)

Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 61: VII. Nocturne (Transcr. Moszkowski for Piano)

Liszt: Mendelssohns Lieder, S. 547: I. Auf Flügeln des Gesanges (After Op. 34 / 2)

Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte VI, Op. 67: II. Allegro leggiero, MWV U145 “Lost Illusions”

Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte VI, Op. 67: VI. Allegretto non troppo, MWV U188 “Cradle Song”

Mendelssohn, Fanny: Notturno in G minor

Mendelssohn, Fanny: Easter Sonata
I. Allegro assai moderato
II. Largo e molto espresso – Poco più mosso
III. Scherzo. Allegretto
IV. Allegro con strepito