Mendelssohn - Sonata in D, Op. 58 - Cello and Piano

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy composed three large-scale works for piano and cello: the Variations (op. 17) and the ) and the Sonatas in B-flat (op. 45) and D major (op. 58). The Variations originated as early as 1829 and were published by Mechetti of Vienna as Variations concer-tants [sic] pour le Pianoforte et Violon-celle in 1831. Mendelssohn dedicated the piece to his brother Paul, an accom-plished if amateur cellist. Years passed before Mendelssohn again returned to this combination of instruments. Writ-ing from Berlin on 17 August 1838, he alluded to the First Cello Sonata in a letter to his friend Ferdinand Hiller: “Moreover, a quite important branch of piano music of which I am very fond – trios, quartets and other things with pi-ano accompaniment, which is to say genuine chamber music – has been very far from my thoughts, and my need to write something new along these lines is very great. I would be happy to do something about it. It was with this in mind that I recently wrote a sonata with violin and another with cello.” By the end of October 1838 the First Cello So-nata was ready for publication. It was issued without dedication by Kistner of Leipzig in 1839.

The climax of Mendelssohn’s music for the cello was, however, the Second Sonata in D major (op. 58) of 1843. We are well informed of its genesis. As early as 17 June 1839, the composer wrote in high spirits from Frankfurt to his pub-lisher Kistner in Leipzig: “I am present-ly working on a new violin sonata for F. Kistner, and on a trio, and on a sym-phony, and on lieder – but the Walpur-gisnacht - but the opera – oh God! – and God! – and what about the new oratorio – where did I put it?” By “violin sonata” Mendels-sohn meant, of course, the Sonata for Cello. However, it was 6 July 1843 be-fore the contract with Kistner could be signed. He first had to finish many of the pieces he had mentioned in his let-ter: the lieder (op. 47), the choral songs (op. 48), the Piano Trio (op. 49), songs for men’s chorus (op. 50), Psalm CXIV(op. 51), the LobgesangSymphony (op. 52), and Book IV of the Songs withoutWords (op. 53). As far as the opera is concerned, it remained at the planning stage. However, the First Wal-purgisnacht (op. 60) was completed side by side with the Cello Sonata. In August 1843 Mendelssohn read the proofs for the sonata and briefly corresponded with Kistner regarding an edition for violin and piano (by Ferdinand David). The piece was finally presented to the public as op. 58 at the Leipzig Autumn Fair of 1843.