Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, MWV N 18, Op. 56 - "Scottish" (Version for Piano 4-hands)

Description

The four-hand piano version of the Scottish Symphony was written by Mendelssohn in 1842 after he had finished the orchestral score, but before it was printed. A piano arrangement was an important element of publicity for him and his publisher since this was the most effective way of getting an orchestral work known. When considering what a creative spirit Mendelssohn was, it is not surprising that he substantially altered the first and fourth movements in his arrangement, which, in its turn, left its mark on the score. The great diffusion of the work – and of the four-hand piano version above all – is certainly due in part to the fact that after its first edition by Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig, parallel editions were released in France and England, whereby a thank-you note from Prince Albert to Mendelssohn even suggests that he and his wife, Queen Victoria, played through the work at the piano from the dedicatory copy.