Mendelssohn: Variation Serieuses -- back to the old track

Mendelssohn's variation was my original target. I am happy to be back to the track.

In 2004 I tried this after playing Op.142-3 of Schubert. At that time my standard duration of preparation was three months, but I could not go through with this piece. It appeared that this piece demands agility and precision of highest quality, and clear pedaling. Sadly I switched to the preparation of my "last" public performance of Dukas variation (I hope I can find my recording, ... That should be my best).

I heard several recordings on Mendelssohn's variation in search of standard interpretation. Usually Larrocha and Brendel give me excellent examples of balance and tone-control, but somehow I was not fully satisfied with them this time. I was attracted more to Beethoven-like approach. One starts with pursuing pure technique, but it turns out that a spiritual depth is almost there. ... playing the piece with discipline is a victory by itself. Perahia's playing is very near to it. [Later I learned that this variation was composed for collecting money for Beethoven's Monument. .... Liszt wrote transcription of Eroica (funeral march), Schumann wrote Fantasy with a delay.]

When I became aware of "consistency" throughout the piece, I grew keen about the characteristics of each variations: those under influence of Brahms (2-3), Beethoven (6), Schumann (10, 14) and Liszt (12). Use of soft pedal helped me in Brahms and Schumann variations.

As I wrote above this piece was technically very demanding. In some variations I missed cords (unintended arpeggio, mistouch, ....) and lacked consistency and force (by now you know my music is fundamentally "small" despite of loudness). With all the flaws, nevertheless, this could be my best achievement. I faced this masterpiece seriously.