Various Composers - Songs Without Words (Jeneba Kanneh-Mason)

Information

1. Felix Mendelssohn - Lieder ohne Worte V, Op. 62: I. Andante espressivo
2. Florence Price - Song Without Words in A Major
3. Margaret Bonds - Spiritual Suite: II. The Bells
4. Florence Price - Song Without Words in G Major ("Pleading")
5. Camille Saint-Saëns - Theme from Samson and Delilah (arr. Nina Simone)

Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Sony Classical

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In this compelling five-track EP, acclaimed pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason traces the evolution of Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn’s “Songs Without Words” tradition across diverse genres and eras. Continuing her commitment to championing Black women composers, Kanneh-Mason bridges Felix Mendelssohn’s Op. 62 with two expressive pieces by Florence Price and Margaret Bonds’s evocative movement “The Bells” from Spiritual Suite for Piano. The recording concludes with a transcription of Camille Saint-Saëns’s aria “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix,” honoring Nina Simone’s improvisatory solo piano arrangement from her landmark 1963 Carnegie Hall debut. Through this thoughtful compilation, Kanneh-Mason highlights enduring artistic connections and historical piano repertoire.

Acclaimed pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason has rapidly established herself as a formidable soloist, earning praise for her technical acuity, musical insight, and mature interpretations. A BBC Young Musician finalist and former student of Patsy Toh at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Academy, she has won top accolades, including the Murs du Son Prize and Iris Dyer Piano Prize. Following her acclaimed BBC Proms debut with the Chineke! Orchestra, Kanneh-Mason maintains an impressive international profile featuring orchestral engagements with the Philharmonia and Vienna Radio Symphony, solo debuts at Wigmore Hall and Zurich Tonhalle, high-profile festival appearances, and global tours alongside her renowned musical family.

High Resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz