Fanny Mendelssohn, Das Jahr, September

The piece incorporates a deeply melancholic poem by Goethe, “An den Mond,” including the following lines:

Fließe, fließe, lieber Fluss,
Nimmer werd’ ich froh. 

[English translation]
Flow, flow, dear river;
I shall never be happy.

The movement bears the subtitle Am Flusse — “By the River.” I feel that the continuous stream of sixteenth notes in the right hand evokes the ceaseless flow of the river, while at the same time suggesting thoughts and emotions that continue endlessly, without resolution.

 Of course, it is important to bring out the melody with a sense of phrasing, almost as if it were being sung. But I also feel that by allowing the character and expression of the river’s flow in the right hand to change in response to the melody’s inflections and emotional shifts, the entire piece can acquire a greater sense of unity and atmosphere.