jan 1, 1841 - Das Jahr, No. 12: December (NAWM 133)

Description:

Composer: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Genre: Character piece

Translation: The Year

This cycle of character pieces representing every month plus a postlude was inspired by a trip Hensel took to Italy with her family. There she met French composers at the French academy in Rome, and their respect for her as an artist and representative of the German tradition inspired her to continue composing. Though inspired in Italy, there is very little Italian about it.

The cycle incorporates some Lutheran (not Catholic) chorales appropriate to a particular season, an Easter chorale for March, a Christmas chorale for December, and a New Year's chorale for the postlude.

December:
Does not follow a standard form, but rather has two overarching sections.

Section 1:
A fantasia on an original theme leading from C minor to C major, seeming to flow from a blustery snowstorm to a dusting of snowflakes.

Section 2:
Choral variations in C major on the Lutheran hymn Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her (From Heaven high I come here), which paraphrases the angel announcing Jesus’ birth.

First Variation: simple, parallel sixths over sustained Gs, gradually evolving into a hymn-like texture.

Second Variation: The melody is in full chords over left-hand arpeggiations.

Third Variation: The block chords are now over running octave triplets, among other developments. The opening phrase of the chorale reappears twice in successively lower octaves, like the angel descending to earth.

A triumphant coda bring the piece to a close.

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