Lieder for Lena
In 2007, a Virginia-based jazz musician discovered a box of lieder manuscripts in the basement of his house. The lieder were composed by Albrecht Mendelssohn Bartholdy and dedicated to his protégé Magdalene Schoch. A grandson of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Albrecht was a jurist and peace activist who represented Germany as an advisor to the Treaty of Versaille negotiations. My research traces the story of how Albrecht’s Lieder for Lena came to be found in the US, and how this find relates to Albrecht’s artistic and musical oeuvre – parts of which survive in the Mendelssohn Archives in Berlin, The University of Hamburg, and the University Library of Luzern. The talk will provide insights into Albrecht’s personality and his most inner feelings which he felt free to express in his songs. Finally, I will provide a brief overview of the challenges of preparing a critical performance edition of Lieder for Lena.
The presentation will take place on Friday, 4/24 in CA 3080 starting at 3:00pm.
