Mendelssohn’s Preludes and Fugues are a blend of Baroque and Romantic styles, and reveal Mendelssohn’s great admiration of Johann Sebastian Bach. Although the set of six preludes and fugues were published in 1837, the fugue of this pair was written in 1827, at the deathbed of Mendelssohn’s friend Hanstein.Although Mendelssohn did not dedicate this piece to Hanstein, it is likely that his friend’s death was in his mind when he wrote the fugue. It opens in a very somber mood, soon becoming intensely angry. After a long accelerando and an outbreak of octaves, Mendelssohn breaks temporarily from the fugue to enter into a glorious chorale. The themes of the chorale are actually taken from several Christian hymns, including A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, written by Martin Luther. The piece closes softly with the original themes. Mendelssohn’s emotions show through in his writing, and as a Christian, he could take comfort in his belief that he would see his friend again in heaven. This performance is by Grant Smith.
My upload of the Op. 35 No. 5 Prelude and Fugue in F Minor:
Prelude 0:00
Fugue 1:58