Fantasie Brilliante and Variations on a theme by Weber for Two Pianos and Orchestra Felix Mendelssohn and lgnaz Moscheles’s "Fantasie and Variations" can be considered as one of the major rediscoveries of recent years. The origin of this work was at a charity event held in 1833 by the British Royal Court. At the heart of the event stood two of the most esteemed musicians in the United Kingdom at the time: Felix Mendelssohn and his revered teacher, Ignaz Moscheles. Both shared the same background, of JewishGerman heritage, yet Mendelssohn's fame endured while Moscheles' reputation has faded over time. The highlight of the event was a composition for two pianos and orchestra. This piece was based on the "March Bohemienne" from the Music to "Preciosa" by Weber, which was an incredibly popular hit in London. The two composers met a few days before the event and therefore the piece was partly based on improvisations they prepared on the basis of a skeletal plan. The success of the event led to another performance for which a more thorough version was prepared. At some point after this performance the manuscript disappeared. Sixteen years later Moscheles decided to create his own version of the work which he published in a limited edition. The editor presented it as the joint work of the two composers and this misattribution persisted for generations. The original manuscript was considered lost for almost 200 years. It turned out that the manuscript had been in the hands of Felix Moscheles, Ignaz's son, and had been given as a gift to the legendary Russian-Jewish pianist Anton Rubinstein. The piece is built from a dramatic introduction followed by a free fantasy (by Mendelssohn). After the presentation of Weber's march (arranged by Moscheles), two variations by Mendelssohn and two by Moscheles are presented. The piece moves then to an extensive finale, most of which bears the stamp of Mendelssohn's "golden hands", with dazzling virtuoso sections, a fugal division and a retrospective observation of the entire original theme, just before the energetic, gypsy-inspired coda. The piece was performed by the MultiPiano Ensemble in renewed premiere performances with the English Chamber Orchestra in London and the Symphony Orchestra of Kyiv at Carnegie Hall in New York. It was also recorded by the ensemble in a world premiere recording with the Berlin Radio Orchestra, set to be released in the upcoming summer by Hyperion/Universal. This marks the first performance of the piece by the Israeli Philharmonic. Tomer Lev ca. 16 mins. FELIX MENDELSOHN (1809-1847) - IGNAZ MOSCHELES (1794-1870)
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