I've been making my way through some Mendelssohn lately. To-day that included the later symphonies, performed by the Wiener Philharmoniker directed by Christoph von Dohnányi.
I feel pretty stupid for not noticing this earlier, but the fourth movement of Symphony No. 5 includes some variations on Martin Luther's "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." It becomes glaringly obvious once the name ("Reformation") is taken into account.
Additionally, I think Mendelssohn may have also included a few measures of the melody from "Ich Sterbe Täglich," a tune from 1756 that is also used for hymns (such as "I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table" and "Thy Body, Given for Me, O Savior"), so it also relates to the religious theme of the symphony.
At the eleventh measure of section I*, the melody comes in with the bassoons and trumpets:
(notation found here)
A measure or two after this, the melody diverges, but it's enough to recognize it.
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*I might not be using the correct terminology; I never really learned to read scores. It took me long enough to actually find the particular measures.
Every other year, I listen to all of the music in my collection. Often, I discover new things about music I'm familiar with or learn new things about songs I'm not as familiar with. This is where I'll be documenting that.
Showing posts with label Ich Sterbe Täglich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ich Sterbe Täglich. Show all posts
Thursday, July 24, 2014
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