Ferdinand David
's arrangements of
Mendelssohn
's
Lieder ohne Worte
("
Songs Without Words
") are not often played, but it would be hard to argue against their authenticity.
David
was born in the same house as
; the two were friends; and
, a violinist as well as a composer, consulted on
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
. He wrote these cello-and-piano arrangements after
's death, with financial motivations certainly part of the mix. However,
himself wrote one
Song Without Words for cello and piano
, and chamber arrangements of this kind could not be more characteristic of the middle 19th century.
's arrangements are beautifully done and merit that word rather than "transcriptions." The cello, of course, generally takes the right-hand part of the piano originals, but the deployment of the instruments is delightfully varied, with the plucked low strings of the cello sometimes serving as a harmonic foundation when the piano takes over the melodic material. The music is especially well served by a strong musical partnership, and that of cellist
Daniel Barenboim
and pianist
Natalia Pegarkova-Barenboim
, which is also a personal partnership, has a playfully intimate mood. Another draw is the ideally idiomatic sound from the Maison de France cultural center in Berlin. There's a new
Barenboim
in town, and this is a nice find for
lovers. ~ James Manheim