On January 7, 2022, Pianist Ana-Marija Markovina released a massive and comprehensive set of solo piano works by Felix Mendelssohn (Hänssler Classic, HC18043), twelve discs in all. In this insider interview, we spoke to the pianist about embarking on such a task, why the composer is underrated, her love for literature, and so much more!
What inspired you to record the complete solo works for Mendelssohn?
Mendelssohn is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated composers ever. Some pieces, such as the Variations Sérieuses, have become quite famous and are present on concert stages and in musical institutions. The Songs without Words - Lieder ohne Worte - also enjoy great popularity. But otherwise? One knows hardly anything about Mendelssohn's vast oeuvre. I was interested in the reason for this lack of presence in people's consciousness. One of the reasons is certainly to be found in the dark times when Jewish music was forbidden or at least frowned upon. And it wasn't just the 12 Nazi years here. There were always anti-Semitic attitudes, just think of Wagner. Wagner despised Mendelssohn because he was Jewish. He wrote nasty things about him, what was terrible. This attitude is certainly one reason why Mendelssohn could not occupy the same space in the general consciousness as, say, Chopin or Brahms. I find that tragic and want to change it.
And the reason why it is a complete recording is that I am trying to make only complete recordings. I'm always interested in wholeness in every sense. I am more fascinated by becoming than by being. The fascination for me is the path of life, the development, the growth. And I experience that only if I identify completely with the work, get to know everything, explore every corner of a composer’s life and work, and don't "cherry-pick".
What does your box set bring to the Mendelssohn canon that was previously missing?
First and foremost, I would like to mention the sketches, the fragments. They give us an important new insight into Mendelssohn's working methods. It is more exciting for me to see what he discarded than what he published. And, what is also a novelty: I have recorded the different versions whenever I could find them. From this it is evident that Mendelssohn very consciously edited his works when he was to publish them. The thing he lacked most in life was: Time. He had no time. He worked incredibly hard, was a successful music manager, a family man, and a helpful friend. This led to the fact that he wrote down, for example, a small song without words quite inspired but quickly, and he did not write it down exactly. When it came to publication, however, he wanted to go back to work, because he was seldom satisfied with his results. And this revising was particularly interesting for me. One can then best sense how he thought and what musical conception he had.
In addition, there are some works that have never appeared in the context of a complete recording such as the solo version of the Capriccio MWV U 87, some songs newly added by Larry Todd and smaller works.
If you could single out just one or two, what solo piano works do you wish the world knew about? In other words, are there any pieces that you wish were just as well-known as the composer’s “greatest hits”?
Yes, of course. First of all, there are the early sonatas. I appreciate them all, but especially the Sonata in C minor. The beginning of the first movement is strongly reminiscent of Beethoven's "Pathetique" and is very impressive. But also the F minor Sonata MWV U 23 - inconceivable that an 11 year old child wrote this! We think first of Mozart when it comes to the subject of child prodigies, but Mendelssohn is at least as great a phenomenon. I am also particularly enthusiastic about some less know later piece, the etudes e.g,, especially B flat minor MWV U 117 and A minor MWV U 142.
You’ve made a name for yourself recording the complete works for piano of a few composers now. With each of these sets, how do you begin the process of such a massive undertaking?
That's quite simple: I read. I read as much literature as I can. That helps me to immerse myself in the composer's world. Into his or her everyday life, their relationships with other people. I try to understand how he or she grew up, what the upbringing was like, whether the parents were loving, nurturing and understanding or punitive and destructive. In Mendelssohn's case, the family history is particularly exciting because of the great Moses Mendelssohn, who shaped the family for generations, indeed who shaped his entire era and humanity to this day as a humanist philosopher.
Furthermore here is the fact that the family was very rich. Felix and Fanny never had financial worries, that was not an issue at all. On the contrary: they rather tried to hide their wealth and therefore worked all the more diligently. I internalise all this before I start practicing. The atmosphere, the spirit of the works is then much closer and easier for me to grasp.
What insights about Mendelssohn did you gain in the process of recording the album?
His life itself. The essence of his being! He was a very generous man - one experiences this above all in the infinite wealth of ideas of his melodies. And in what he did not publish. He did not have to carry out every idea, that is also a sign of a gigantic talent, a sign of his modesty, his seriousness and just his generosity. I can talk about that now with greater certainty, with a certain clarity. And I could not do that before. Before, before the recording, I knew his music, but now it flows through my veins, so to speak.
What do you hope listeners take away from the album?
First of all, many hours of beautiful music. And then the realization that even the greatest talent in the cosmos must work hard, because otherwise the talent is worthless. Mendelssohn, with all the privileges in his life, wealth and talent, was hardworking and modest. He was a wonderful character, everyone loved him. I think, I hope, you can hear that. And that's a beautiful contribution to a happy life, isn't it?
