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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Mendelssohn: Motets & Piano Trio
Classical - Released by Evil Penguin Classic on 8 Sep 2017
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Classical in Winter: Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan, Felix Mendelssohn
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 6 Dec 2023
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Mendelssohn: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5
Jan Willem de Vriend, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Challenge Classics on 7 Nov 2014
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Felix Mendelssohn: Inspiring Classics
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 8 Oct 2022
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Romantic Piano
Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 19 Jun 2021
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Mendelssohn: Octet in E-Flat Major Op. 20, Sinfonias Nos. 6 & 10
Felix Mendelssohn, I Solisti Italiani
Classical - Released by Denon on 1 Jan 2010
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The Best Violin Concerts
Classical - Released by MAMANOQUIERE on 16 Nov 2020
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Mendelssohn: Op. 44, Nos. 1, 2
Chamber Music - Released by Groupe Analekta, Inc on 16 Oct 2015
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Classical Sonosphere Vol. 3
Gabriel Fauré, Antonín Dvořák, Felix Mendelssohn
International Pop - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 20 Jun 2023
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Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 4 / Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage - Bizet - Symphony in C Major (Anton Nanut)
Classical - Released by Stradivari Classics on 12 Dec 2012
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Mendelssohn: Complete Songs, Vol. 2
Chamber Music - Released by Champs Hill Records on 4 Dec 2015
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Russian Piano School: Yakov Flier
Classical - Released by Russian Compact Disc on 12 Jul 1996
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Mendelssohn: Essential Recordings
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 4 Nov 2022
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String Quartet no. 6 in F minor, Op. 80
Classical - Released by Audiofonic Records on 17 Apr 2020
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Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos 1 & 2 - Hebrides Overture "Fingal's Cave"
Classical - Released by Nimbus Records on 1 Jan 2012
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Mendelssohn: Concerto for Violin and Piano, String Quintet No. 2
Antje Weithaas, Alexander Lonquich, Camerata Bern
Chamber Music - Released by Claves Records on 21 Jan 2011
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Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trios, Op. 49 & 66
Chamber Music - Released by Resonus Classics on 29 Jan 2016
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Felix Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64
Classical - Released by Classical.com Music on 16 Feb 2009
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Felix Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto No. 2 In E Minor, Op. 64 / Dmitri Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 In A Minor, Op. 77
Classical - Released by Zeroh on 17 Apr 2017
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Mendelssohn: Piano Concertos Op. 25 & Op. 40 - Six Songs Without Words: Chamber Arrangements
Fumiko Shiraga, Nathan Quartett, Bernd Konzett
Chamber Music - Released by Claves Records on 15 Sep 2009
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Sonatas for Violin and Piano
Classical - Released by Challenge Classics on 1 Oct 2015
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