Felix Mendelssohn ： Fantasia on Last Rose of Summer in E-Dur MWV.U74 Op.15

Based on the Irish folk song “The Last Rose of Summer,” this fantasia combines a songful theme with brilliant piano writing. Beginning with the presentation of the theme, it shifts in character through ornamentation, intricate passagework, and expanding registers, bringing together quiet lyricism and a bright sense of movement. A key point of interest is how the outline of the theme remains perceptible throughout the free development. In performance, the melody should be brought out from inner voices and the right-hand embellishments, while the accompaniment is kept light. Avoid exaggerating changes of tempo or dynamics; instead, follow the breathing of the song and give even the virtuosic passages a natural sense of flow.