Das Jahr, May

Fanny Mendelssohn's May from her piano cycle Das Jahr ("The Year") is for me one of the most wonderful musical portraits of spring in the Romantic piano literature. In May, Mendelssohn captures the sense of renewal, warmth, and awakening that comes with the arrival of spring. The music sparkles with lightness and energy, reflecting nature's transformation as flowers bloom, and the world seems filled with new possibilities.

The piece quotes a line from Johann Ludwig Uhland's poem Frühlingsglaube, or “Faith in Spring:”

Now the farthest, deepest valley is in bloom.
(Es blüht das fernste, tiefste Tal)

The quotation serves as a key to understanding the music. Mendelssohn translates Uhland's imagery into sound, creating a landscape filled with movement, color, and optimism. The music seems to celebrate not only the beauty of the season but also the hope and confidence that spring brings to the human spirit.

Needless to say, the month of May was a special month for me not only within this year, but also, my entire life, as it was the month of my Carnegie Hall solo recital debut. Listening to this piece now, I recall the beautiful spring in New York that enveloped me during that time—the refreshing breeze, the blooming flowers, their wonderful fragrance—and I feel a deep sense of gratitude, along with a feeling of moving forward.

In this way, Fanny Mendelssohn's May reminds me that music has the power to preserve moments in our lives, allowing us to revisit them long after they have passed. Like the season it portrays, the piece is filled with hope, renewal, and the promise of new beginnings.

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