Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) German-Jew

Mendelssohn's compositions 


Felix Mendelssohn (later Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy) was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early romantic period.  Mendelssohn wrote symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano music and chamber music.  His best-known works include his Overture and incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, the overture The Hebrides, his mature Violin Concerto, and his String Octet. His Songs Without Words are his most famous solo piano compositions.  After a long period of relative denigration due to changing musical tastes and antisemitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his creative originality has been re-evaluated. He is now among the most popular composers of the romantic era.

A grandson of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, Felix Mendelssohn was born into a prominent Jewishfamily.  He was brought up without religion until the age of seven, when he was baptized as a ReformedChristian.  Felix was recognized early as a musical prodigy, but his parents were cautious and did not seek to capitalize on his talent.

Mendelssohn enjoyed early success in Germany, and revived interest in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, notably with his performance of the St Matthew Passion in 1829.  He became well received in his travels throughout Europe as a composer, conductor and soloist; his ten visits to Britain – during which many of his major works were premiered – form an important part of his adult career.  His essentially conservative musical tastes set him apart from more adventurous musical contemporaries such as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Charles-Valentin Alkan and Hector Berlioz. The Leipzig Conservatoire, which he founded, became a bastion of this anti-radical outlook.



Piano Works:

      Songs Without Words  (1829-1841)  Viktoria Postnikova, piano  (19:36)  (play)

          Mendelssohn wrote 8 "books" of 6 short songs each between 1829 and 1845.  


      Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op 35  (1830-31)
          Yuja Wang, piano, Verbier Festival Orchestra, Kurt Masur, cond.  (18:06)  (play)


      Fantasy in F# minor, Opus 28  ("Scottish Sonata")  (18??)  Murray Perihia, piano  (10:42)  (play)


      Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49  (1839)   
           Evgeny Kissin, piano, Joshua Bell, violin, Mischa Maisky, cello  (30:45)  (play)