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Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage (Mendelssohn)

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Song composed by Felix Mendelssohn

This article is about the orchestral work composed by Felix Mendelssohn. For the similarly named orchestral work by Beethoven, seeMeeresstille und glückliche Fahrt (Beethoven).

Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage
Concert overture byFelix Mendelssohn
The composer in 1833, drawing byEduard Bendemann
Key	D major
Opus	27
Based on	two poems byGoethe
Performed	7 September 1828 (1828-09-07):Berlin
Published	1835 (1835)

Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage (Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt), Op. 27, is an orchestralconcert overture byFelix Mendelssohn inspired by the same pair of poems byJohann Wolfgang von Goethe that inspiredBeethoven's 1815cantata of the same title (and in the samekey,D major). Mendelssohn's work was first performed on 7 September 1828 inBerlin.

The titles of Goethe's two poems are not synonymous: in the days before steam, a totally calm sea was cause for alarm; it is only when the wind at last rises that the ship can continue on its journey.^[1]

Mendelssohn described his interpretation of Goethe’s calm sea as: “a pitch gently sustained by the strings for a long while hovers here and there and trembles, barely audible... The whole stirs sluggishly from the passage with heavy tedium. Finally, it comes to a halt with thick chords and the Prosperous Voyage sets out.” Goethe’s lively winds that then hasten the ship into view of land are depicted with “all the wind instruments, the timpani, oboes and flutes.. playing merrily to the end.”^[2]

The overture concludes with a fanfare of trumpets suggesting the ship's final arrival at its port of destination.

Scored forpiccolo, 2flutes, 2oboes, 2clarinets, 2bassoons,double bassoon,serpent, 2horns, 3trumpets,timpani andstrings,^[3] the piece is programmatic for its reference of the two poems by Goethe. These two poems were extremely popular, and at the time of the premiere, Mendelssohn could have assumed that the audience would have been familiar with both poems and able to follow the programme of the music with minimal aid. The work is a concert overture - meaning that it is not intended as a prelude to a larger work such as an opera (as 'overture', deriving from the French for 'opening', more often implies). Instead, the piece is performed as an independent piece in a symphonic concert. The term overture here refers to the use of melody and form. However, it could also be considered as an early form oftone poem.

Edward Elgar quotes a theme from the overture in the 13th variation of hisEnigma Variations to represent one of his "friends pictured within" on a ship bound for New Zealand.

References

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^Horton, Scott (1 Feb 2009)."Goethe's Quiet Sea".Browsings: The Harper's Blog. Harper’s Magazine Foundation. Retrieved13 August 2019.
^Read, Amber (2022)."Chopin and Schumann" Programme Notes. Auckland: Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
^Felix Mendelssohn,Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt, Op. 27."IMSLP".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

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Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt, Op.27: Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project
New Mendelssohn Discoveries in the Music Division (NYPL, 2013)

Felix Mendelssohn

Vocal

Stage	A Midsummer Night's Dream "Wedding March" Antigone Oedipus at Colonus Die beiden Neffen Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde Die Hochzeit des Camacho
Sacred	Oratorio:St. Paul / Paulus Elijah / Elias Denn er hat seinen Engeln befohlen Wer bis an das Ende beharrt Christus Other: "Psalm 42" Vom Himmel hoch (chorale cantata) Drei Motetten Lobgesang (Symphony No. 2) Verleih uns Frieden "Hear my prayer" Lord, have mercy upon us Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt (Psalm 100) Mitten wir im Leben sind
Other	Die erste Walpurgisnacht "On Wings of Song" Festgesang Festgesang an die Künstler

Orchestral

Symphony	13 String Symphonies No. 1 No. 2 (symphony-cantataLobgesang) No. 3 (Scottish) No. 4 (Italian) No. 5 (Reformation)
Concerto	Violin and Strings Violin Piano, Violin and Strings Piano:No. 1 –No. 2 Two Pianos:in E major –in A♭ major
Other	Capriccio Brillant Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage The Hebrides Die schöne Melusine

Chamber

Strings	String Quartet in E♭ major Quartet No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 Four pieces for string quartet Octet
Other	Violin Sonata:No. 1 –No. 2 –No. 3 Viola Sonata Cello Sonata:No. 1 –No. 2 Assai tranquillo for cello and piano Clarinet Sonata Piano Trio:in C minor –No. 1 –No. 2 Piano Quartet:No. 1 –No. 2 –No. 3 String Quintet:No. 1 –No. 2 Piano Sextet