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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Felix Mendelssohn : Helias (Elijah)
Paul McCreesh, Gabrieli Consort
Classical - Released by Signum Records on 27 Aug 2012
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Symphony no. 2 'Lobgesang'
Classical - Released by Challenge Classics on 28 Jan 2013
Gramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Felix Mendelssohn: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 1
Classical - Released by Reader's Digest Music on 1 Oct 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Symphony no. 4: The Italian
Classical - Released by Mendelssohn Sounds on 24 Jul 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Sonata for Viola and Piano in C Minor (Digitally Remastered)
Paul Hennevogel, Ernst Gröschel
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on 15 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Felix Mendelssohn: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 2
Classical - Released by Reader's Digest Music on 1 Oct 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Three Piano Sonatas
Classical - Released by Tuxedo Music on 3 Apr 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 2 and Solo Piano Works
Classical - Released by Tuxedo Music on 30 Apr 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Voktett Hannover: Tidings of Joy (Weihnachtslieder / Christmas Carols)
Felix Mendelssohn, Michel Praetorius, Heinrich Schütz, Max Reger, Voktett Hannover
Classical - Released by Rondeau Production on 9 Dec 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words Vol.1, Variations sérieuses Op.54
Classical - Released by NOVA Record on 12 Aug 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Classical in Winter: Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan, Felix Mendelssohn
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 6 Dec 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 5
Jan Willem de Vriend, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by Challenge Classics on 7 Nov 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Felix Mendelssohn: Inspiring Classics
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 8 Oct 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Romantic Piano
Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 19 Jun 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Violin Concerts
Classical - Released by MAMANOQUIERE on 16 Nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Russian Piano School: Yakov Flier
Classical - Released by Russian Compact Disc on 12 Jul 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Essential Recordings
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 4 Nov 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classical Sonosphere Vol. 3
Gabriel Fauré, Antonín Dvořák, Felix Mendelssohn
International Pop - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on 20 Jun 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Felix Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64
Classical - Released by Classical.com Music on 16 Feb 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo