HOWARD SHELLEY
NE OF THE VERY GREAT PIANISTS of the nineteenth century, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
(18091847) achieved legendary status for his
performances and improvisations alike, though his piano
compositions generally have not withstood comparison
with the very best keyboard music of the century. The one
piano sonata he published was deemed not to have broken
new ground after Beethovens path-breaking thirty-two; he
created no large-scale cyclic works comparable to Robert
Schumanns hybrid literary/musical fantasies for the
instrument; his meticulously crafted Lieder ohne Worte
exuded for many a refined romanticism not as soulsearching as the miniatures of Chopin or Brahms; and
nowhere did his technical demands on the pianist
challenge the Promethean exertions of Liszt.
But such views of Mendelssohns piano music largely
mirrored the conventional wisdom about the composers
stature engrained over much of the twentieth century.
A complex of factors, including a reaction against
Victorianism (a frequent visitor to England, Mendelssohn
had enjoyed audiences with the Queen, had been embraced
as a Victorian gentleman, and was an easy mark for later
critiques of the period) and the banning of his music by the
Nazis (though a baptized Lutheran, Mendelssohn was the
grandson of the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn),
combined to undermine his reputation. And so he was
remembered as a purveyor of comfortable (gemtlich)
salon music; his affinity for complex Bachian counterpoint
led him to rely too much on historical models; and his
music betrayed a cloying sentimentality utterly at odds with
modernist tastes. Writing in The Musical Times on the
sesquicentenary of the composers birth in 1959, Stanley
Bayliss conceded that Mendelssohns music offered magic,
charm, clarity, brilliance, verve, lilt, [and] polishbut all
these qualities were not enough to offset this terse verdict
of post-War culture: Mendelssohn does not go very deep.
Shelley
As a pianist, conductor and recording artist Howard Shelley
has enjoyed a distinguished career since his highly
acclaimed London debut in 1971, performing each season
with renowned orchestras at major venues around the
world. Much of his current work is in the combined role
of conductor and soloist. He has been closely associated
with the music of Rachmaninov and has performed
and recorded complete cycles of his solo piano works
(Hyperion, CDS44041/8), concertos and songs. His
recordings of Mozart and Hummel piano concertos have
also won exceptional praise.
As conductor Howard Shelley has performed with many
leading orchestras. His long association with the London
Mozart Players included a substantial period as their
Principal Guest Conductor. He has also been Principal
Conductor of Swedens Uppsala Chamber Orchestra and
works closely with the Camerata Salzburg, Orchestra di
Padova e del Veneto in Italy and the Tasmanian Symphony
Orchestra in Australia with whom he has recorded several
discs for Hyperion.
In 1994 an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College
of Music was conferred on him by HRH The Prince of
Wales. Howard Shelley is married to fellow pianist Hilary
Macnamara, and they have two sons.
For Hyperion Howard Shelley has recorded the
complete solo piano music by Rachmaninov, a complete
chronological survey of the piano sonatas by Muzio
Clementi, and many Romantic piano concertos. As a
conductor he has also recorded the complete symphonies
by Louis Spohr.
Eric Richmond
HOWARD
All Hyperion and Helios recordings may be purchased over the internet at
www.hyperion-records.co.uk
where you will also find an up-to-date catalogue listing and much additional information
MENDELSSOHN
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Le catalogue Hyprion est galement accessible sur Internet : www.hyperion-records.co.uk
10
MENDELSSOHN
11
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15
CDA67935
FELIX MENDELSSOHN
(18091847)
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Sieben Charakterstcke Op 7
6
7
8
9
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[6'05]
[23'36]
[5'42]
[4'39]
[6'39]
[6'36]
[27'21]
[3'50]
[2'09]
[3'41]
[3'45]
[7'08]
[3'25]
[3'23]
[17'04]
[3'27]
[2'33]
[2'29]
[2'02]
[3'37]
[2'56]
CDA67935
Duration 74'08
FELIX MENDELSSOHN
(18091847)
[23'36]
6 Sieben Charakterstcke Op 7
[27'21]
[17'04]
www.hyperion-records.co.uk
HYPERION RECORDS LIMITED . LONDON . ENGLAND
Hyperion
CDA67935
DDD
Hyperion
CDA67935