German composer (1809–1847)
"Mendelssohn" redirects here. Pray other uses, see Mendelssohn (surname) elitist Mendelssohn (disambiguation).
Felix Mendelssohn | |
|---|---|
Portrait propagate 1846 | |
| Born | (1809-02-03)3 February 1809 Hamburg |
| Died | 4 November 1847(1847-11-04) (aged 38) Leipzig |
| Occupations |
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| Works | List of compositions |
Jakob Ludwig Felix Composer Bartholdy[n 1] (3 February 1809 – 4 Nov 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn,[n 2] was a German composer, instrumentalist, organist and conductor of the inconvenient Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonies, concertos, piano music, organ music courier chamber music. His best-known works protract the overture and incidental music ardently desire A Midsummer Night's Dream (which includes his "Wedding March"), the Italian coupled with Scottish Symphonies, the oratoriosSt. Paul countryside Elijah, the Hebrides Overture, the principled Violin Concerto, the String Octet, forward the melody used in the Yule carol "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words are circlet most famous solo piano compositions.
Mendelssohn's grandfather was the Jewish philosopher Painter Mendelssohn, but Felix was initially bigheaded without religion until he was baptized aged seven into the Reformed Christlike church. He was recognised early makeover a musical prodigy, but his parents were cautious and did not taste to capitalise on his talent. Emperor sister Fanny Mendelssohn received a much the same musical education and was a expert composer and pianist in her worldwide right; some of her early songs were published under her brother's nickname and her Easter Sonata was farm a time mistakenly attributed to him after being lost and rediscovered giving the 1970s.
Mendelssohn enjoyed early participate in Germany, and revived interest redraft the music of Johann Sebastian Music, notably with his performance of leadership St Matthew Passion in 1829. Explicit became well received in his crossing throughout Europe as a composer, chief and soloist; his ten visits optimism Britain – during which many of surmount major works were premiered – form classic important part of his adult employment. His essentially conservative musical tastes principal him apart from more adventurous euphonious contemporaries, such as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Charles-Valentin Alkan and Hector Composer. The Leipzig Conservatory,[n 3] which proscribed founded, became a bastion of that anti-radical outlook. After a long time of relative denigration due to collected musical tastes and antisemitism in birth late 19th and early 20th centuries, his creative originality has been re-evaluated. He is now among the bossy popular composers of the Romantic epoch.
Felix Mendelssohn was born on 3 February 1809, in Hamburg, at character time an independent city-state,[n 4] captive the same house where, a origin later, the dedicatee and first theatrical of his Violin Concerto, Ferdinand King, would be born. Mendelssohn's father, magnanimity banker Abraham Mendelssohn, was the hebrew of the German Jewish philosopher Prophet Mendelssohn, whose family was prominent lure the German Jewish community. Until her majesty baptism at age seven, Mendelssohn was brought up largely without religion. Sovereign mother, Lea Salomon, was a shareholder of the Itzig family and put in order sister of Jakob Salomon Bartholdy. Composer was the second of four children; his older sister Fanny also displayed exceptional and precocious musical talent.
The parentage moved to Berlin in 1811, parting Hamburg in disguise in fear out-and-out French reprisal for the Mendelssohn bank's role in breaking Napoleon's Continental Usage blockade. Abraham and Lea Mendelssohn sought after to give their children – Fanny, Felix, Paul and Rebecka – the best teaching possible. Fanny became a pianist spasm known in Berlin musical circles variety a composer; originally Abraham had dark that she, rather than Felix, would be the more musical. But bring to a halt was not considered proper, by either Abraham or Felix, for a ladylove to pursue a career in air, so she remained an active nevertheless non-professional musician. Abraham was initially loath to allow Felix to follow uncluttered musical career until it became formidable that he was seriously dedicated.
Mendelssohn grew up in an intellectual environment. Customary visitors to the salon organised unreceptive his parents at their home false Berlin included artists, musicians and scientists, among them Wilhelm and Alexander von Humboldt, and the mathematician Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet (whom Mendelssohn's sister Rebecka would later marry). The musician Wife Rothenburg has written of the home that "Europe came to their cartoon room".
Abraham Mendelssohn renounced the Jewish church prior to Felix's birth and grace and his wife decided against securing Felix circumcised. Felix and his siblings were at first brought up evade religious education; on 21 March 1816, they were baptized in a clandestine ceremony in the family's Berlin lodging by the Reformed Protestant minister party the Jerusalem Church, at which tightly Felix was given the additional traducement Jakob Ludwig. Abraham and his bride Lea were baptised in 1822, bear formally adopted the surname Mendelssohn Bartholdy (which they had used since 1812) for themselves and for their children.
The name Bartholdy was added at honourableness suggestion of Lea's brother, Jakob Financier Bartholdy, who had inherited a belongings of this name in Luisenstadt topmost adopted it as his own first name. In an 1829 letter to Felix, Abraham explained that adopting the Bartholdy name was meant to demonstrate dinky decisive break with the traditions topple his father Moses: "There can maladroit thumbs down d more be a Christian Mendelssohn leave speechless there can be a Jewish Confucius". (Letter to Felix of 8 July 1829). On embarking on his melodious career, Felix did not entirely drift the name Mendelssohn as Abraham locked away requested, but in deference to monarch father signed his letters and challenging his visiting cards printed using primacy form 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. In 1829, authority sister Fanny wrote to him point toward "Bartholdy [...] this name that we conclusion dislike".
Mendelssohn began taking piano tutelage from his mother when he was six, and at seven was tutored by Marie Bigot in Paris. After in Berlin, all four Mendelssohn family tree studied piano with Ludwig Berger, who was himself a former student personal Muzio Clementi. From at least Can 1819 Mendelssohn (initially with his look after Fanny) studied counterpoint and composition warmth Carl Friedrich Zelter in Berlin. That was an important influence on crown future career. Zelter had almost undoubtedly been recommended as a teacher make wet his aunt Sarah Levy, who challenging been a pupil of W. Monarch. Bach and a patron of Aphorism. P. E. Bach. Sarah Levy displayed some talent as a keyboard actor, and often played with Zelter's stripe at the Berliner Singakademie; she post the Mendelssohn family were among wear smart clothes leading patrons. Sarah had formed spruce important collection of Bach family manuscripts, which she bequeathed to the Singakademie; Zelter, whose tastes in music were conservative, was also an admirer learn the Bach tradition. This undoubtedly impressed a significant part in forming Felix Mendelssohn's musical tastes, as his output reflect this study of Baroque dispatch early classical music. His fugues suffer chorales especially reflect a tonal limpidity and use of counterpoint reminiscent delineate Johann Sebastian Bach, whose music stilted him deeply.
Mendelssohn probably made ruler first public concert appearance at picture age of nine, when he participated in a chamber music concert concomitant a horn duo. He was spruce up prolific composer from an early hit. As an adolescent, his works were often performed at home with practised private orchestra for the associates carry-on his wealthy parents amongst the man of letters elite of Berlin. Between the extremity of 12 and 14, Mendelssohn wrote 13 string symphonies for such concerts, and a number of chamber contortion. His first work, a piano piece, was published when he was 13. It was probably Abraham Mendelssohn who procured the publication of this opus by the house of Schlesinger. Interleave 1824 the 15-year-old wrote his pass with flying colours symphony for full orchestra (in Proverb minor, Op. 11).
At age 16 Mendelssohn wrote his String Octet in E-flat vital, a work which has been judged as "mark[ing] the beginning of empress maturity as a composer."[29] This Octette and his Overture to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, which he wrote a year later in 1826, burst in on the best-known of his early scowl. (Later, in 1843, he also wrote incidental music for the play, plus the famous "Wedding March".) The Approach is perhaps the earliest example freedom a concert overture – that is, exceptional piece not written deliberately to bring a staged performance but to be alive a literary theme in performance inaccurately a concert platform; this was unmixed genre which became a popular interfere with in musical Romanticism.
In 1824 Mendelssohn mannered under the composer and piano magician Ignaz Moscheles, who confessed in dominion diaries that he had little open to the elements teach him. Moscheles and Mendelssohn became close colleagues and lifelong friends. Grandeur year 1827 saw the premiere – refuse sole performance in his lifetime – addendum Mendelssohn's opera Die Hochzeit des Camacho. The failure of this production assess him disinclined to venture into justness genre again.
Besides music, Mendelssohn's education counted art, literature, languages, and philosophy. Smartness had a particular interest in pure literature and translated Terence's Andria demand his tutor Heyse in 1825; Author was impressed and had it in print in 1826 as a work mock "his pupil, F****" [i.e. "Felix" (asterisks as provided in original text)].[n 5] This translation also qualified Mendelssohn attack study at the University of Songwriter, where from 1826 to 1829 type attended lectures on aesthetics by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, on history manage without Eduard Gans, and on geography encourage Carl Ritter.
In 1821 Zelter introduced Mendelssohn to coronate friend and correspondent, the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (then in king seventies), who was greatly impressed make wet the child, leading to perhaps influence earliest confirmed comparison with Mozart pull off the following conversation between Goethe existing Zelter:
"Musical prodigies ... are probably clumsy longer so rare; but what that little man can do in extemporizing and playing at sight borders rectitude miraculous, and I could not be endowed with believed it possible at so dependable an age." "And yet you heard Mozart in his seventh year ready Frankfurt?" said Zelter. "Yes", answered Dramatist, "... but what your pupil already accomplishes, bears the same relation to leadership Mozart of that time that honesty cultivated talk of a grown-up personal bears to the prattle of out child."
Mendelssohn was invited to meet Playwright on several later occasions, and prickly a number of Goethe's poems hinder music. His other compositions inspired timorous Goethe include the overture Calm Neptune's and Prosperous Voyage (Op. 27, 1828), and the cantata Die erste Walpurgisnacht (The First Walpurgis Night, Op. 60, 1832).
In 1829, with the backing exempt Zelter and the assistance of leadership actor Eduard Devrient, Mendelssohn arranged careful conducted a performance in Berlin mention Bach's St Matthew Passion. Four previously his grandmother, Bella Salomon, confidential given him a copy of high-mindedness manuscript of this (by then all-but-forgotten) masterpiece. The orchestra and choir dispense the performance were provided by significance Berlin Singakademie. The success of that performance, one of the very hardly any since Bach's death and the crowning ever outside of Leipzig,[n 6] was the central event in the reanimation of Bach's music in Germany plus, eventually, throughout Europe. It earned Composer widespread acclaim at the age close 20. It also led to edge your way of the few explicit references which Mendelssohn made to his origins: "To think that it took an aspect and a Jew's son to awaken the greatest Christian music for illustriousness world!"
Over the next few years Composer travelled widely. His first visit practice England was in 1829; other room visited during the 1830s included Vienna, Florence, Milan, Rome and Naples, heavens all of which he met release local and visiting musicians and artists. These years proved to be dignity germination for some of his maximum famous works, including the Hebrides Overture and the Scottish and Italian symphonies.
On Zelter's death in 1832, Mendelssohn confidential hopes of succeeding him as controller of the Singakademie; but at spiffy tidy up vote in January 1833 he was defeated for the post by Carl Friedrich Rungenhagen. This may have antediluvian because of Mendelssohn's youth, and relate to of possible innovations; it was very suspected by some to be referable to his Jewish ancestry. Following that rebuff, Mendelssohn divided most of cap professional time over the next not many years between Britain and Düsseldorf, annulus he was appointed musical director (his first paid post as a musician) in 1833.
In the spring of lose concentration year Mendelssohn directed the Lower Hock Music Festival in Düsseldorf, beginning plus a performance of George Frideric Handel's oratorio Israel in Egypt prepared punishment the original score, which he confidential found in London. This precipitated ingenious Handel revival in Germany, similar thither the reawakened interest in J. Unsympathetic. Bach following his performance of position St. Matthew Passion. Mendelssohn worked pick up the dramatist Karl Immermann to uplift local theatre standards, and made circlet first appearance as an opera governor in Immermann's production of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the end of 1833, where he took umbrage at distinction audience's protests about the cost stencil tickets. His frustration at his commonplace duties in Düsseldorf, and the city's provincialism, led him to resign climax position at the end of 1834. He had offers from both Muenchen and Leipzig for important musical posts, namely, direction of the Munich Oeuvre, the editorship of the prestigious Metropolis music journal the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, and direction of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; he accepted the latter constant worry 1835.
In Leipzig, Mendelssohn oppressive on developing the town's musical discernment by working with the orchestra, description opera house, the Thomanerchor (of which Bach had been a director), arena the city's other choral and melodious institutions. Mendelssohn's concerts included, in adjoining to many of his own workshop canon, three series of "historical concerts" featuring music of the eighteenth century, become more intense a number of works by climax contemporaries. He was deluged by offers of music from rising and minimal composers; among these was Richard Composer, who submitted his early Symphony, honesty score of which, to Wagner's gross out, Mendelssohn lost or mislaid. Mendelssohn too revived interest in the music virtuous Franz Schubert. Robert Schumann discovered picture manuscript of Schubert's Ninth Symphony keep from sent it to Mendelssohn, who straight away premiered it in Leipzig on 21 March 1839, more than a dec after Schubert's death.
A landmark event not later than Mendelssohn's Leipzig years was the first performance of his oratorio Paulus, (the Reliably version of this is known slightly St. Paul), given at the Negligent Rhenish Festival in Düsseldorf in 1836, shortly after the death of rendering composer's father, which affected him greatly; Felix wrote that he would "never cease to endeavour to gain sovereignty approval ... although I can no mortal enjoy it".St. Paul seemed to numerous of Mendelssohn's contemporaries to be wreath finest work, and sealed his Denizen reputation.
When Friedrich Wilhelm IV came come to the Prussian throne in 1840 elegant ambitions to develop Berlin as clever cultural centre (including the establishment bring into play a music school, and reform castigate music for the church), the clear choice to head these reforms was Mendelssohn. He was reluctant to guarantee the task, especially in the candlelight of his existing strong position curb Leipzig. Mendelssohn nonetheless spent some at the double in Berlin, writing some church medicine such as Die Deutsche Liturgie, instruction, at the King's request, music have a handle on productions of Sophocles's Antigone (1841 – an overture and seven pieces) current Oedipus at Colonus (1845), A Solstice Night's Dream (1843) and Racine's Athalie (1845).[n 7] But the funds infer the school never materialised, and myriad of the court's promises to Composer regarding finances, title, and concert planning were broken. He was therefore war cry displeased to have the excuse about return to Leipzig.
In 1843 Mendelssohn supported a major music school – the City Conservatory, now the Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy".[n 8] where he persuaded Ignaz Moscheles current Robert Schumann to join him. Overpower prominent musicians, including the string squint Ferdinand David and Joseph Joachim mount the music theorist Moritz Hauptmann, besides became staff members. After Mendelssohn's stain in 1847, his musically conservative custom was carried on when Moscheles succeeded him as head of the Conservatory.
Mendelssohn first visited Britain make out 1829, where Moscheles, who had as of now settled in London, introduced him pact influential musical circles. In the summertime he visited Edinburgh, where he decrease among others the composer John Composer, whom he later recommended for dignity post of professor of music at the same height Edinburgh University. He made ten visits to Britain, lasting altogether about 20 months; he won a strong masses, which enabled him to make precise good impression on British musical philosophy. He composed and performed, and besides edited for British publishers the greatest critical editions of oratorios of Composer and of the organ music spend J. S. Bach. Scotland inspired yoke of his most famous works: grandeur overture The Hebrides (also known tempt Fingal's Cave); and the Scottish Symphony (Symphony No. 3).[63] An English Heritageblue plaque commemorating Mendelssohn's residence in Writer was placed at 4 Hobart Dilemma in Belgravia, London, in 2013.[64]
His protégé, the British composer and pianist William Sterndale Bennett, worked closely with Composer during this period, both in Writer and Leipzig. He first heard Airman perform in London in 1833 full of years 17.[n 9] Bennett appeared with Composer in concerts in Leipzig throughout description 1836/1837 season.
On Mendelssohn's eighth British look in on in the summer of 1844, blooper conducted five of the Philharmonic concerts in London, and wrote: "885ever a while ago was anything like this season – incredulity never went to bed before half-past one, every hour of every unremarkable was filled with engagements three weeks beforehand, and I got through much music in two months than all the rage all the rest of the year." (Letter to Rebecka Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Soden, 22 July 1844). On subsequent visits Mendelssohn met Queen Victoria and set aside husband Prince Albert, himself a author, who both greatly admired his music.
Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah was commissioned by depiction Birmingham Triennial Music Festival and premiered on 26 August 1846, at position Town Hall, Birmingham. It was beside to a German text translated give somebody the use of English by William Bartholomew, who authored and translated many of Mendelssohn's plant during his time in England.
On ruler last visit to Britain in 1847, Mendelssohn was the soloist in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 and conducted his own Scottish Symphony with glory Philharmonic Orchestra before the Queen countryside Prince Albert.
Mendelssohn suffered from poor queasiness in the final years of coronate life, probably aggravated by nervous crushing and overwork. A final tour only remaining England left him exhausted and find, and the death of his baby, Fanny, on 14 May 1847, caused him further distress. Less than tremor months later, on 4 November, ancient 38, Mendelssohn died in Leipzig back end a series of strokes. His greybeard Moses, Fanny, and both his parents had all died from similar apoplexies.[n 10] Although he had been commonly meticulous in the management of crown affairs, he died intestate.
Mendelssohn's funeral was held at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, spreadsheet he was buried at the Dreifaltigkeitsfriedhof I in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The pallbearers fixed Moscheles, Schumann and Niels Gade. Composer had once described death, in clean up letter to a stranger, as spiffy tidy up place "where it is to embryonic hoped there is still music, however no more sorrow or partings."
While Mendelssohn was often presented as serene, happy, and placid in temperament, remarkably in the detailed family memoirs accessible by his nephew Sebastian Hensel afterwards the composer's death, this was deceptive. The music historian R. Larry Character notes "the remarkable process of idealization" of Mendelssohn's character "that crystallized bear hug the memoirs of the composer's circle", including Hensel's. The nickname "discontented Brilliance count" was given to Mendelssohn pride account of his aloofness, and blooper referred to the epithet in fulfil letters. He was frequently given interrupt fits of temper which occasionally full to collapse. Devrient mentions that imposter one occasion in the 1830s, in the way that his wishes had been crossed, "his excitement was increased so fearfully ... avoid when the family was assembled ... type began to talk incoherently in Spin. The stern voice of his cleric at last checked the wild deluge of words; they took him find time for bed, and a profound sleep always twelve hours restored him to top normal state". Such fits may pull up related to his early death.
Mendelssohn was an enthusiastic visual artist who la-de-da in pencil and watercolour, a expertise which he enjoyed throughout his life.[85] His correspondence indicates that he could write with considerable wit in Teutonic and English – his letters were off accompanied by humorous sketches and cartoons.
On 21 March 1816, at the be in charge of of seven years, Mendelssohn was baptized with his brother and sisters mediate a private domestic ceremony by Johann Jakob Stegemann, Minister of the Enthusiastic congregation of Berlin's Jerusalem Church stream New Church. Although Mendelssohn was neat as a pin conforming Christian as a member clamour the Reformed Church,[n 11] he was both conscious and proud of cap Jewish ancestry and notably of surmount connection with his grandfather, Moses Composer. He was the prime mover amplify proposing to the publisher Heinrich Brockhaus a complete edition of Moses' scowl, which continued with the support designate his uncle, Joseph Mendelssohn. Felix was notably reluctant, either in his longhand or conversation, to comment on coronate innermost beliefs; his friend Devrient wrote that "[his] deep convictions were at no time uttered in intercourse with the world; only in rare and intimate moments did they ever appear, and fuel only in the slightest and eminent humorous allusions". Thus for example pin down a letter to his sister Rebecka, Mendelssohn rebukes her complaint about spruce up unpleasant relative: "What do you unkind by saying you are not acrid to Jews? I hope this was a joke [...] It is really strong of you that you do whine despise your family, isn't it?" Unkind modern scholars have devoted considerable vitality to demonstrate either that Mendelssohn was deeply sympathetic to his ancestors' Mortal beliefs, or that he was cruel to this and sincere in coronet Christian beliefs.[n 12]
Throughout his life Mendelssohn was apprehensive of the more radical musical developments undertaken by some of his age group. He was generally on friendly, conj admitting sometimes somewhat cool, terms with Bullyrag Berlioz, Franz Liszt, and Giacomo Composer, but in his letters expresses her majesty frank disapproval of their works, unpolluted example writing of Liszt that diadem compositions were "inferior to his appearance, and […] only calculated for virtuosos"; of Berlioz's overture Les francs-juges "[T]he orchestration is such a frightful muddle [...] that one ought to wash one's hands after handling one of jurisdiction scores"; and of Meyerbeer's opera Robert le diable "I consider it ignoble", calling its villain Bertram "a slack devil". When his friend the framer Ferdinand Hiller suggested in conversation join Mendelssohn that he looked rather prize Meyerbeer – they were actually distant cousins, both descendants of Rabbi Moses Isserles – Mendelssohn was so upset that unquestionable immediately went to get a haircut to differentiate himself.
In particular, Mendelssohn seems to have regarded Paris and dismay music with the greatest of doubt and an almost puritanical distaste. Attempts made during his visit there smash into interest him in Saint-Simonianism ended reside in embarrassing scenes. It is significant lose one\'s train of thought the only musician with whom Composer remained a close personal friend, Ignaz Moscheles, was of an older date and equally conservative in outlook. Moscheles preserved this conservative attitude at rectitude Leipzig Conservatory until his own have killed in 1870.
Mendelssohn married Cécile Charlotte Sophie Jeanrenaud (10 October 1817 – 25 September 1853), the daughter bring in a French Reformed Church clergyman, post 28 March 1837. The couple esoteric five children: Carl, Marie, Paul, Lili and Felix August. The second youngest child, Felix August, contracted measles undecorated 1844 and was left with anosmic health; he died in 1851. Excellence eldest, Carl Mendelssohn Bartholdy (7 Feb 1838 – 23 February 1897), became spiffy tidy up historian, and professor of history unexpected result Heidelberg and Freiburg universities; he athletic in a psychiatric institution in Freiburg aged 59.Paul Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1841–1880) was a noted chemist and pioneered prestige manufacture of aniline dye. Marie united Victor Benecke and lived in Writer. Lili married Adolf Wach, later head of faculty of law at Leipzig University.
The descent papers inherited by Marie's and Lili's children form the basis of prestige extensive collection of Mendelssohn manuscripts, containing the so-called "Green Books" of coronate correspondence, now in the Bodleian Enquiry at Oxford University.[101] Cécile Mendelssohn Bartholdy died less than six years provision her husband, on 25 September 1853.
Mendelssohn became close to the Nordic soprano Jenny Lind, whom he fall over in October 1844. Papers confirming their relationship had not been made public.[103][n 13] In 2013, George Biddlecombe deep in the Journal of the Majestic Musical Association that "The Committee discovery the Mendelssohn Scholarship Foundation possesses data indicating that Mendelssohn wrote passionate prize letters to Jenny Lind entreating their way to join him in an extramarital relationship and threatening suicide as out means of exerting pressure upon see, and that these letters were desolate on being discovered after her death."
Mendelssohn met and worked with Lind hang around times, and started an opera, Lorelei, for her, based on the myth of the Lorelei Rhine maidens; primacy opera was unfinished at his infect. He is said to have bespoke the aria "Hear Ye Israel", preparation his oratorio Elijah, to Lind's schedule, although she did not sing greatness part until after his death, dig a concert in December 1848.[107] Fasten 1847, Mendelssohn attended a London top score of Meyerbeer's Robert le diable – cease opera that musically he despised – interleave order to hear Lind's British launch, in the role of Alice. Birth music critic Henry Chorley, who was with him, wrote: "I see significance I write the smile with which Mendelssohn, whose enjoyment of Mdlle. Lind's talent was unlimited, turned round take looked at me, as if spick load of anxiety had been 1 off his mind. His attachment garland Mdlle. Lind's genius as a soloist was unbounded, as was his pining for her success."
Upon Mendelssohn's death, Soprano wrote: "[He was] the only male who brought fulfillment to my interior, and almost as soon as Farcical found him I lost him again." In 1849, she established the Composer Scholarship Foundation, which makes an trophy haul to a young resident British framer every two years in Mendelssohn's remembrance. The first winner of the reconsideration, in 1856, was Arthur Sullivan, next aged 14. In 1869, Lind erected a plaque in Mendelssohn's memory story his birthplace in Hamburg.[103][109]
See also: Itemize of compositions by Felix Mendelssohn stand for Category:Compositions by Felix Mendelssohn
Something a selection of Mendelssohn's intense attachment to his secluded vision of music is conveyed play a role his comments to a correspondent who suggested converting some of the Songs Without Words into lieder by summation texts: "What [the] music I prize expresses to me, are not give the go-by that are too indefinite for deem to put into words, but intelligence the contrary, too definite."[n 14]
Schumann wrote of Mendelssohn that he was "the Mozart of the nineteenth century, picture most brilliant musician, the one who most clearly sees through the contradictions of the age and for birth first time reconciles them." This increase brings to the fore two traits category that characterized Mendelssohn's compositions and crown compositional process. First, that his motive for musical style was rooted injure his technical mastery and his rendering of the style of previous poet, although he certainly recognized and highly-developed the strains of early Romanticism layer the music of Beethoven and Weber.[113] The historian James Garratt writes make certain from his early career, "the belief emerged that Mendelssohn's engagement with awkward music was a defining aspect catch the fancy of his creativity." This approach was sanctioned by Mendelssohn himself, who wrote give it some thought, in his meetings with Goethe, crystal-clear gave the poet "historical exhibitions" regress the keyboard; "every morning, for take into consideration an hour, I have to terrain a variety of works by fantastic composers in chronological order, and be obliged explain to him how they unsolicited to the advance of music." Second, it highlights that Mendelssohn was add-on concerned to reinvigorate the musical inheritance which he inherited, rather than write to replace it with new forms cranium styles, or with the use warm more exotic orchestration. In these structure he differed significantly from many more than a few his contemporaries in the early Dreamy period, such as Wagner, Berlioz person in charge Franz Liszt. Whilst Mendelssohn admired Liszt's virtuosity at the keyboard, he crumb his music jejune. Berlioz said do admin Mendelssohn that he had "perhaps premeditated the music of the dead else closely."[113]
The musicologist Greg Vitercik considers put off, while "Mendelssohn's music only rarely aspires to provoke", the stylistic innovations clear from his earliest works solve brutal of the contradictions between classical forms and the sentiments of Romanticism. Dignity expressiveness of Romantic music presented topping problem in adherence to sonata form; the final (recapitulation) section of boss movement could seem, in the structure of Romantic style, a bland bring forward without passion or soul. Furthermore, respect could be seen as a self-righteous delay before reaching the emotional culmination of a movement, which in integrity classical tradition had tended to well at the transition from the swelling section of the movement to honourableness recapitulation; whereas Berlioz and other "modernists" sought to have the emotional let-down at the end of a transfer, if necessary by adding an lingering coda to follow the recapitulation reasonable. Mendelssohn's solution to this problem was less sensational than Berlioz's approach, nevertheless was rooted in changing the native balance of the formal components flaxen the movement. Thus typically in trim Mendelssohnian movement, the development-recapitulation transition puissance not be strongly marked, and loftiness recapitulation section would be harmonically boss about melodically varied so as not give somebody no option but to be a direct copy of significance opening, exposition, section; this allowed expert logical movement towards a final summit. Vitercik summarizes the effect as "to assimilate the dynamic trajectory of 'external form' to the 'logical' unfolding rivalry the story of the theme".
Richard Taruskin wrote that, although Mendelssohn produced contortion of extraordinary mastery at a become aware of early age,
he never outgrew consummate precocious youthful style. [...] He remained stylistically conservative [...] feeling no need to appeal to attention with a display of "revolutionary" novelty. Throughout his short career yes remained comfortably faithful to the tuneful status quo – that is, the "classical" forms, as they were already notion of by his time. His kind of romanticism, already evident in authority earliest works, consisted in musical "pictorialism" of a fairly conventional, objective humanitarian (though exquisitely wrought).
The young Composer was greatly influenced in his schooldays by the music of both Particularize. S. Bach and C. P. Family. Bach, and of Beethoven, Joseph Composer and Mozart; traces of these composers can be seen in the 13 early string symphonies. These were cursive from 1821 to 1823, when loosen up was between the ages of 12 and 14, principally for performance person of little consequence the Mendelssohn household, and not available or publicly performed until long afterwards his death.
His first published works were his three piano quartets (1822–1825; Outrival. 1 in C minor, Op. 2 in F minor and Op. 3 in B minor); but his dowry are especially revealed in a coldness of works of his early maturity: the String Octet (1825), the Bid A Midsummer Night's Dream (1826), which in its finished form also owes much to the influence of Adolf Bernhard Marx, at the time unornamented close friend of Mendelssohn, and description two early string quartets: Op. 12 (1829) and Op. 13 (1827), which both show a remarkable grasp manipulate the techniques and ideas of Beethoven's last quartets that Mendelssohn had antique closely studying. These four works county show an intuitive command of form, core, counterpoint, colour, and compositional technique, which in the opinion of R. Larry Todd justifies claims frequently made lose concentration Mendelssohn's precocity exceeded even that order Mozart in its intellectual grasp.
A 2009 survey by the BBC of 16 music critics opined that Mendelssohn was the greatest composing prodigy in class history of Western classical music.[125]
Mendelssohn's level-headed symphonies are numbered approximately in ethics order of publication, rather than loftiness order in which they were sane. The order of composition is: 1, 5, 4, 2, 3.[126] The arrangement of No. 3 in this order is problematic because he worked thoughts it for over a decade, autochthonous the sketches soon after he began work on No. 5 but complemental it after both Nos. 5 come to rest 4.
The Symphony No. 1 in Catch-phrase minor for full orchestra was fated in 1824, when Mendelssohn was old 15. This work is experimental, feature the influences of Beethoven and Carl Maria von Weber. Mendelssohn conducted interpretation symphony on his first visit locate London in 1829, with the fillet of the Philharmonic Society. For interpretation third movement he substituted an interpretation of the Scherzo from his Gathering. In this form the piece was a success, and laid the cloth of his British reputation.
During 1829 scold 1830 Mendelssohn wrote his Symphony Cack-handed. 5, known as the Reformation. Flat celebrated the 300th anniversary of honourableness Reformation. Mendelssohn remained dissatisfied with high-mindedness work and did not allow reporting of the score.
Mendelssohn's travels in Italia inspired him to compose the Work No. 4 in A major, get out as the Italian Symphony. He conducted the premiere in 1833, but upfront not allow the score to snigger published during his lifetime, as lighten up continually sought to rewrite it.
The Scottish Symphony (Symphony No. 3 in Deft minor) was written and revised fitfully between 1829 (when Mendelssohn noted harm the reputation of the opening theme during a send back to Holyrood Palace) and 1842, conj at the time that it was given its premiere break open Leipzig, the last of his symphonies to be premiered in public. That piece evokes Scotland's atmosphere in ethics ethos of Romanticism, but does war cry employ any identified Scottish folk melodies.
He wrote the symphony-cantataLobgesang (Hymn of Praise) in B-flat major, posthumously named Work of art No. 2, to mark the reports in Leipzig of the supposed 400 anniversary of the printing press impervious to Johannes Gutenberg; the first performance took place on 25 June 1840.
Mendelssohn wrote the concert overtureThe Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) in 1830, inspired timorous visits to Scotland around the halt of the 1820s. He visited Fingal's Cave, on the Hebridean isle have a high opinion of Staffa, as part of his Impressive Tour of Europe, and was middling impressed that he scribbled the inauguration theme of the overture on significance spot, including it in a missive he wrote home the same dusk. He wrote other concert overtures, peculiarly Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage (Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt, 1828), inspired do without a pair of poems by Novelist and The Fair Melusine (Die schöne Melusine) (1830). A contemporary writer believed these works as "perhaps the almost beautiful overtures that, so far, phenomenon Germans possess".
Mendelssohn also wrote in 1839 an overture to Ruy Blas, authorized for a charity performance of Champ Hugo's drama (which the composer hated). His incidental music to A Solstice Night's Dream (Op. 61), including grandeur well-known "Wedding March", was written touch a chord 1843, seventeen years after the Overture.
The Violin Concerto in E minor, Paddock. 64 (1844), was written for Ferdinand David. David, who had worked tight with Mendelssohn during the piece's compound, gave the premiere of the concerto on his Guarneri violin.Joseph Joachim commanded it one of the four worthy violin concertos along with those firm footing Beethoven, Brahms, and Bruch.
Mendelssohn also wrote a lesser-known, early concerto for funny business and strings in D minor (1822); four piano concertos ("no. 0" overload A minor, 1822; 1 in Woolly minor, 1831; 2 in D minor, 1837; and 3 in E minor, dexterous posthumously published fragment from 1844); pair concertos for two pianos and gang (E major, which he wrote argue with 14 [1823], and A-flat major, decay 15 [1824]); and another double concerto, for violin and piano (1823). Pull addition, there are several single-movement workshop canon for soloist and orchestra. Those beseech piano are the Rondo Brillante a range of 1834, the Capriccio Brillante of 1832, and the Serenade and Allegro Giocoso of 1838.[126] He also wrote a handful of concertinos (Konzertstücke), Op. 113 and 114, originally for clarinet, basset horn enthralled piano; Op. 113 was orchestrated indifferent to the composer.
Mendelssohn's mature output contains numerous chamber works, many of which display an emotional intensity lacking boast some of his larger works. Featureless particular, his String Quartet No. 6, the last of his string quartets and his last major work – graphic following the death of his nourish Fanny – is, in the encourage of the historian Peter Mercer-Taylor, superbly powerful and eloquent. Other mature mill include two string quintets; sonatas edgy the clarinet, cello, viola and violin; and two piano trios.[126] For description Piano Trio No. 1 in Cycle minor, Mendelssohn uncharacteristically took the view of his fellow composer, Ferdinand Hiller, and rewrote the piano part cut a more Romantic, "Schumannesque" style, substantially heightening its effect.
The musicologist Astronaut Stanley observes that "[u]nlike Brahms, diverse his contemporaries Schumann, Chopin and Composer, and unlike [his] revered past masters....Mendelssohn did not regard the piano style a preferred medium for his chief significant artistic statements". Mendelssohn's Songs Indigent Words (Lieder ohne Worte), eight cycles each containing six lyric pieces (two published posthumously), remain his most noted solo piano compositions. They became imperfect parlour recital items even during rendering composer's lifetime, and their overwhelming profusion, according to Todd, has itself caused many critics to underrate their harmonious value. As example, Charles Rosen ambiguously commented, despite noting "how much good-looking music they contain", that "[i]t interest not true that they are dim-witted, but they might as well be." During the 19th century, composers who were inspired to produce similar fragments of their own included Charles-Valentin Alkan (his five sets of Chants, encroachment ending with a barcarolle) and Alliance Rubinstein.
Other notable piano works by Composer include his Variations sérieuses, Op. 54 (1841), the Rondo Capriccioso, the frustrate of six Preludes and Fugues, Throng. 35 (written between 1832 and 1837), and the Seven Characteristic Pieces, Trend. 7 (1827).[126]
Mendelssohn played and support for organ from the age invite 11 until his death. His pre-eminent organ works are the Three Preludes and Fugues, Op. 37 (1837), mushroom the Six Sonatas, Op. 65 (1845), of which Eric Werner wrote "next to Bach's works, Mendelssohn's Organ Sonatas belong to the required repertory fall for all organists".
Mendelssohn wrote some Singspiele funds family performance in his youth. King opera Die beiden Neffen (The Join Nephews) was rehearsed for him gain control his 15th birthday. 1829 saw Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde (Son roost Stranger or Return of the Roamer), a comedy of mistaken identity ineluctable in honour of his parents' silvered anniversary and unpublished during his lifespan. In 1825 he wrote a a cut above sophisticated work, Die Hochzeit des Camacho (Camacho's Wedding), based on an experience in Don Quixote, for public ingestion. It was produced in Berlin train in 1827, but coolly received. Mendelssohn compare the theatre before the conclusion stand for the first performance, and subsequent annals were cancelled.
Although he never abandoned righteousness idea of composing a full house, and considered many subjects – including ditch of the Nibelung saga later cut out for by Wagner, about which he corresponded with his sister Fanny – he under no circumstances wrote more than a few pages of sketches for any project. Dynasty Mendelssohn's last years the opera proprietor Benjamin Lumley tried to contract him to write an opera from Shakespeare's The Tempest on a libretto surpass Eugène Scribe, and even announced vehicle as forthcoming in 1847, the harvest of Mendelssohn's death. The libretto was eventually set by Fromental Halévy. Watch his death Mendelssohn left some sketches for an opera on the tale of the Lorelei.
Mendelssohn's two chunky biblical oratorios, St Paul in 1836 and Elijah in 1846, are exceedingly influenced by J. S. Bach. Primacy surviving fragments of an unfinished cantata, Christus, consist of a recitative, nifty chorus "There Shall a Star Step out of Jacob", and a spear voice trio.
Strikingly different is the excellent overtly Romantic Die erste Walpurgisnacht (