People often complain that music is too ambiguous, that what they should think when they hear it is so unclear, whereas everyone understands words. With me, it is exactly the opposite, and not only with regard to an entire speech but also with individual words. These seem to me so ambiguous, so vague, so easily misunderstood in comparison to genuine music, which fills the soul with a thousand things better than words. 

Felix Mendelssohn

Mendelssohn, the "Mozart of the 19th century," is my sentimental favourite (in fact, it seems to me I've used that quote before here...), and he is the focus of Music Appreciation this term.  We listened to our first selection today: Piano Trio, D Minor, Opus 49 - I - Molto Allegro e Agitato.  (Performed by the Gryphon Trio. You can also listen to a recording on the Analekta label, where you can also read a description of the piece and it's importance among Mendelssohn's works.)  We listened to only the first movement today, but you can listen to the entire piece at those links. 

Music Appreciation is just that: appreciating music.  The more children listen to music, the better they understand it, and the more they appreciate it.  I gave them a little bit of information about the composer, but not much.  Before we listened to the piece, I told the girls that we were about to hear a piano trio, and asked them to listen for which instruments made up the trio.  They identified the violin and the piano, and I told them the other is a cello.  We talked about the mood of the piece (is it happy or sad?), and I asked them if it made them think of anything.  Then they could draw a picture, if they chose to.  Katja drew the instruments that make up a piano trio, including a very nice violin.

I have some works by Mendelssohn on CD, but I was hoping to find some others that we wouldn't have heard before, and my web search lead me to these places: 

Concerts on Demand at CBC Radio 2 is a wonderful listening resource.  The link will take you to the "Concert Finder" where you can filter concerts by keyword.  Just type in the composer or the artist's name. 

Another great resource I found today is the Analekta website.  I found a new CD to add to my wishlist: Concert Parisien.  You can listen to full-length selections from the CD on this page, and even download one movement from a piece by Rameau.  Music to fill your soul with a thousand things better than words. 

*editing to add one more link: Heifetz with Rubistein in piano and Piatigorsky in cello play Mendelssohn Trio in D minor.