Mendelssohn Piano Concerto 2 op40 Sheet Music, Program Notes and Recordings

A Command Performance

In the late summer of 1837, Felix Mendelssohn was, as usual, a man in high demand. He had been invited to be the star attraction at the prestigious Birmingham Music Festival in England, a country where he was adored. He was scheduled to conduct his oratorio St. Paul, play Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto, and perform an organ prelude and fugue by J.S. Bach. As if this were not enough, the festival organizers insisted he also compose a brand new piano concerto for the occasion. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Mendelssohn composed the entire D minor concerto in just a few weeks, completing it shortly before his departure for England. He premiered the work on September 21st, conducting from the keyboard, and it was met with a storm of applause. One critic wrote, "It was a performance of which it is impossible to speak in terms of common-place approbation... It was all light, and life, and sunshine." Despite being composed under immense pressure, the Second Concerto is a work of remarkable poise, power, and structural integrity.

A More Mature Voice

While the Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor was a work of youthful fire, the Second Concerto is a product of a more experienced and mature composer. Mendelssohn was now 28, a celebrated conductor, a newly married man, and one of the most respected musicians in Europe. This newfound gravitas is immediately apparent in the music. The D minor key lends the work a more serious, dramatic weight compared to the stormy passion of the G minor. The themes are broader, the orchestral writing is richer, and the relationship between the soloist and orchestra feels more like a partnership of equals than a showcase for a traveling virtuoso. It retains the brilliant innovations of the first concerto—the immediate entry of the soloist and the seamlessly linked movements—but deploys them in service of a more profound and noble musical drama.

Movement I (Allegro appassionato): Noble Drama

Like its predecessor, the concerto wastes no time with a lengthy orchestral introduction. After a few bars of a surging, expectant orchestral tutti, the piano enters—not with a fiery explosion, but with a powerful, arpeggiated theme that is both virtuosic and stately. The main theme of this Allegro appassionato is a long, impassioned melody that unfolds with a sense of urgent, yet controlled, drama. The piano writing is brilliant and demanding, full of powerful chordal passages, sweeping arpeggios, and intricate passagework, but it is always woven into the symphonic fabric of the movement. A more lyrical and tender second theme provides a beautiful contrast, but the movement's dominant character is one of grand, heroic striving. It possesses a weight and seriousness that at times foreshadows the concertos of Johannes Brahms.

Movement II (Adagio: Molto sostenuto): A Heavenly Barcarolle

The turbulent first movement subsides and melts directly into the second, an Adagio of sublime beauty and tranquility. Set in the warm key of B-flat major, this movement is a serene barcarolle, a gentle rocking song that evokes the image of a Venetian gondola. The piano introduces the main theme, a simple and deeply heartfelt melody, over a soft, pizzicato accompaniment in the strings. It is a perfect example of Mendelssohn’s gift for creating poetic, song-like instrumental music. The orchestra and piano engage in a gentle, intimate dialogue, with the soloist decorating the orchestral lines with delicate, pearl-like filigree. It is a movement of profound peace and one of the most beautiful slow movements Mendelssohn ever composed.

Movement III (Finale: Presto scherzando): Sunshine and Sparkles

The calm of the Adagio is gently interrupted by a transitional passage that builds excitement for the finale. This last movement, a Presto scherzando, is a complete change of pace. The key shifts decisively to D major, and the mood becomes one of pure, unadulterated joy. The piano sets off on a light-footed and brilliant rondo theme, a glittering, scherzo-like melody that is pure Mendelssohnian magic. This is the composer in his most "elfin" mode, the same spirit that animates the fairy music from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The movement is a dazzling display of pianistic agility and grace, full of sparkling scales and rapid-fire staccato passages. The orchestra provides a buoyant and energetic accompaniment. Unlike the thunderous conclusion of many Romantic concertos, Mendelssohn’s finale is all about speed, elegance, and sunshine, bringing the work to a breathless and exhilarating close.

A Worthy Successor

For much of its history, the Second Concerto has lived in the immense shadow of the First. The G minor concerto’s immediate and overwhelming popularity meant that the D minor was often unfairly overlooked. However, in recent decades, it has been rightfully reassessed and has become a beloved staple of the concert hall. Pianists and audiences have come to appreciate its unique qualities: its noble grandeur, its greater thematic development, and its perfect balance between dramatic weight and sparkling elegance. It is not merely "the other Mendelssohn concerto," but a powerful and profound masterpiece in its own right. It represents a clear artistic evolution for the composer, a work that retains all the brilliance of his youth while speaking with a new and compelling emotional depth.