Felix Mendelssohn
Far from the troubled, coarse libertine that has become an archetype of the Romantic composer, Felix Mendelssohn was something of an anomaly among his contemporaries. His own situation -- largely one of domestic tranquility and unhindered career fulfillment -- stands in stark contrast to the personal Sturm und Drang familiar to his peers. Mendelssohn was the only musical prodigy of the 19th century whose stature could rival that of Mozart. Still, his parents resisted any entrepreneurial impulses and spared young Felix the strange, grueling lifestyle that was the lot of many child prodigies.
He and his sister Fanny were given piano lessons, and he also studied violin, and both joined the Berlin Singakademie. Carl Friedrich Zelter, director of the Singakademie, became Mendelssohn's first composition instructor. Even in his youth, Mendelssohn moved with natural grace among the circles of influence in society, politics, literature, and art. Although he did spend some time at the University of Berlin, most of his education was received through friendships and travel. Mendelssohn's advocacy was the single most important factor in the revival of Bach's vocal music in the 19th century, most famously realized in the 1829 performance of the St. Matthew Passion at the Berlin Singakadamie. He did some touring as a pianist with Ignaz Moscheles, then took the position of music director in Düsseldorf from 1833 to 1835, which involved conducting both the choral and orchestral societies, preparing music for church services and later, becoming intendant for the new theatre. Tension with the theater owner caused him to resign some of his duties, and he began looking for a new post. In 1835, Mendelssohn became municipal music director in Leipzig, where he would also conduct the Gewandhaus Orchestra. He would raise the level of the still-thriving ensemble to a new standard of excellence. In 1838, he married Cécile Jeanrenaud, enjoying an idyllic marriage and family life that were quite unlike the stormy romantic entanglements that profoundly affected such composers as Berlioz, Chopin, and Liszt. He was in demand as a conductor and spent some time as royal composer and music director in Berlin, but remained committed to musical life in Leipzig. He was even able to establish a new conservatory in the city, which is still a well-respected institution.
Mendelssohn was a true Renaissance man. A talented visual artist, he was a refined connoisseur of literature and philosophy. While his name rarely arises in discussions of the 19th century vanguard, the intrinsic importance of his music is undeniable. A distinct personality emerges at once in its exceptional formal sophistication, its singular melodic sense, and its colorful, masterful deployment of the instrumental forces at hand. A true apotheosis of life, Mendelssohn's music absolutely overflows with energy, ebullience, drama, and invention, as evidenced in his most enduring works: the incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream (1826-1842); the Hebrides Overture (1830); the Songs Without Words (1830-1845); the Symphonies No. 3 (1841-1842) and No. 4 (1833); and the Violin Concerto in E minor (1844). While the sunny disposition of so many of Mendelssohn's works has led some to view the composer as possessing great talent but little depth, his religious compositions -- particularly the great oratorios Paulus (1836) and Elijah (1846) -- reflect the complexity and deeply spiritual basis of his personality.
© Rovi Staff /TiVo
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Sonatas for Violin and Piano
Klassiek - Released by Challenge Classics on 1 okt. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Wedding March
Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Janos Kovacs
Klassiek - Released by Dream Collection on 1 apr. 2014
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Mendelssohn: Lieder
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hartmut Höll
Klassiek - Released by Claves Records on 1 jan. 1991
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Mendelssohn: Piano Sonata No. 2 in G Minor - Variations sérieuses in D Minor & Field: Piano Sonata No. 1 in E-Flat Major - Nocturnes No. 13, No. 14, No. 18
Klassiek - Released by Cascavelle on 7 jul. 1999
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Mendelssohn: String Octet, Op. 20 - String Symphony No. 10 in B Minor - String Symphony No. 12 in G Minor
Klassiek - Released by Cascavelle on 19 jun. 2017
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Orpheus Chamber Orchestra – German Romantic Composers
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Felix Mendelssohn, Ludwig van Beethoven
Klassiek - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 26 jun. 2021
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Felix Mendelssohn - Works for Cello and Piano
Simca Heled, Simone Dinnerstein
Kamermuziek - Released by Romeo Records on 1 mei 2014
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Felix Mendelssohn: Concerto For Violin, Op. 64 / Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata For Violin Nº 5 / Georg Friedrich Haendel: Sonata for Violin Nº 4
Klassiek - Released by RHI on 6 jun. 2017
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30 Must-Have Classical Marches
Klassiek - Released by Cobra Entertainment LLC on 7 jan. 2014
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Mendelssohn: Complete Songs, Vol. 1
Vocale muziek (wereldlijk en religieus) - Released by Champs Hill Records on 31 mrt. 2014
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An Evening of Classical: Mendelssohn
Klassiek - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 30 sep. 2022
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Mendelssohn: The Complete Part-Songs for Mixed Chorus a Cappella
Klassiek - Released by Globe on 1 jan. 1992
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Mendelssohn: Complete String Symphonies Vol. 1
Klassiek - Released by Nimbus Records on 1 jan. 1988
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Mendelssohn, Bach, Clarke, Purcell: Wedding Favorites for Organ
Klassiek - Released by Marcophon on 3 jul. 2013
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Mendelssohn : Songs Without Words
Klassiek - Released by Past Classics on 7 jul. 2013
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Mendelssohn: Violin Sonata in F Minor, Op. 4, MWV Q12 - Fritz Brun: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Minor - Rachmaninoff: Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14 - Thüring Bräm: Album "Goodbye Seventies"
Kamermuziek - Released by VDE-GALLO on 5 mrt. 2013
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Mendelssohn: Sonata for Viola and Piano in C Minor (Digitally Remastered)
Paul Hennevogel, Ernst Gröschel
Klassiek - Released by EMG Classical on 15 jul. 2014
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Mendelssohn: Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra
Klassiek - Released by Danacord Records on 11 jul. 2014
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Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Number 1 in G minor Op. 25, Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra in D minor
Concertmuziek - Released by Meridian Records on 2 jan. 2020
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Antal Dorati & Felix Mendelssohn Bartoldy: String Octets
The Soloists of the Camerata Lysy
Klassiek - Released by Legend Classics on 1 feb. 2008
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Mendelssohn: Variations Serieuses in D Minor, Op. 54 - Villa-Lobos - Daetwyler - Kuliev - Hajiyev - Melikov - Dadashev - Mustafa Zadeh - Mamedov
Klassiek - Released by VDE-GALLO on 12 jan. 2013
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