Piano Forum

who plays mendelsohn the best ?  i've heard the mendelssohn men's chorus here.  i love his oratorios and vocal stuff - but somehow his piano music seems trite.  people say that of mozart, too, so don't take offense.  i think it is how it is played and if properly played - is just as good as schumann or saint saens - of whom my teacher says creates mindless arpeggios up and down the piano.  i happen to disagree and greatly love saint saens 'allegro appasionata.'  it reminds me of looking at the stars.  i think you do have to love certain music to play it well.  and, have an understanding of the composer.  to this date - i have not played a lot of mendelssohn.  maybe looked at songs without words a cou ple of times - but played mostly the 'wedding march' and that was it. 

another heartfelt composer is macdowell.  i've sort of championed him over the other 'lighter' composers - but his work is poetic too - which means more to me that just flashy technique.

possibly schubert is another composer that people typically identify with voice, but has written many beautiful musical piano compositions (albeit a little repetitive).  one of the impromtus i played - found out that it was written actually first as a sonata - but made him more money to sell the movements separately.