Felix Mendelssohn Biography

German Composer, Pianist and Conductor of the Romantic Era

Jun 11, 2007 Tel Asiado

Life and works of Felix Mendelssohn, 19th century composer who founded the Leipzig Conservatory of Music and revived the works of Bach and Handel.

German composer, pianist and conductor Felix Mendelssohn was an important figure during the early 19th century Romantic era. He is best-known for incidental music "A Midsummer Night's Dream," oratorio "Elijah," and Violin Concerto, among others. He promoted careers of other composers, including Berlioz, Robert and Clara Schumann, and Anton Rubinstein.

Felix and his beloved sister Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel (also a composer and talented pianist) had wealth, status, good education and a supportive family. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he based most of his works on personal experiences rather than from inspired literature or drawn out imagination.

Early Life

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy born on February 3, 1809, in Hamburg, Germany. He had his public chamber concert at the age of nine, and before he was thirteen, he had written many works including Piano Quartet Op.1. Octet for Strings was his first masterpiece.

Mendelssohn married Cecile Jeanrenaud. He was very close to his sister Fanny and her death deeply depressed him, following her within a year (November 4, 1847) from hypertension. The Mendelssohns all seem to have died of strokes.

Strong Family Influence

Coming from a wealthy family - his father, a banker and his grandfather, the respected philosopher Moses Mendelssohn - allowed Felix Mendelssohn to travel a great deal, particularly from Germany to England, where he often conducted. He was held in special affections by the British and formed a close friendship with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who mourned his early death.

His Compositions

Mendelssohn's best-known compositions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an incidental music including the famous “Wedding March” which he started composing at the age of seventeen, Fingal’s Cave overture, Italian and Scottish symphonies, and Violin Concerto. He also wrote many piano pieces called "Songs Without Words" and the poignant On Wings of Song.Mendelssohn composed three oratorios - St Paul, Christus and Elijah - probably the greatest of the 19th century. However, it is his Elijah considered at par with Handel’s Messiah and Haydn’s The Creation.

Mendelssohn's Legacy

• Instrumental in promoting the revival of interest in JS Bach’s music, and also of Franz Schubert's first performance of Symphony No.9 in C, in Leipzig, and Handel's Oratorios.
• Founded Leipzig Conservatory of Music
• Helped to establish the role of the conductor
• Promoted careers of other composers and performers

List of Mendelssohn's Major Works

• Piano Sonata No.2 in G minor 1821
• Octet for Strings 1825
• Overture, A Midsummer Night's Dream 1826
• First set of 'Songs Without Words' for piano 1826
• Overture, The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) 1830
• Piano Concerto No.1 1832
• Symphony No.4, 'Italian' 1833
• Oratorio St Paul 1836
• Piano Concerto No.2 1837
• Symphony No.3, 'Scotch' 1842
• Incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream, including 'Wedding March' 1842
• Violin Concerto 1844
• 'Spring Song' from 'Songs Without Words' 1845
• Oratorio Elijah 1846
• Oratorio Christus (unfinished), performed posthumously 1852

Sources:

Classical Music by Phil G Goulding (1992)

Dictionary of Composers and their Music by Eric Gilder (1987)

The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie (2000)

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Felix Mendelssohn