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
-
Classical Fireworks
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Georg Friedrich Händel, Felix Mendelssohn
Lounge - Released by PMI Collins Classics on 4 Nov 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Variationen B-Dur, Op. 83a (Concertino)
Marina Kheifets, Anna Yarovaya, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms, Astor Piazzolla, Alexander Rosenblatt
Classical - Released by Rondeau Production on 22 Feb 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 40 - Scherzo a capriccio in F Sharp-Minor - Perpetuum mobile, Op. 119 - Fantasy in F Sharp-Minor, Op. 28
Concertos - Released by Tuxedo Music on 16 Sep 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
L'heure bleue
Michel Tirabosco, Nathalie Châtelain
Classical - Released by VDE-GALLO on 22 Jun 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
Winchester College Chapel Choir, Benjamin Cunningham
Classical - Released by Signum Records on 7 Oct 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Elias (Elijah)
Kantorei Maulbronn, Peter Lika, Jürgen Budday
Classical - Released by K&K Verlagsanstalt on 6 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Concerto pour violon
Concertos - Released by Claves Records on 1 Jun 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Emanuel Feuermann
Classical - Released by JamadaDigital on 5 Feb 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 4. "Italienische" , A Mid summer nights dream
Norddeutsche Philharmonie, Süddeutsche Philharmonie
Classical - Released by Piros - Send on 28 Oct 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Piano Quartets
Chamber Music - Released by Nimbus Alliance on 1 May 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Felix Mendelssohn, Octet For Strings In E Flat Major, Op. 20
Philip Bride & Ensemble Instrumental de France
Classical - Released by Classical.com Music on 16 Feb 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Concertmasters/ Svetlin Roussev
Concertos - Released by Gega New on 12 Oct 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra in E Major (Digitally Remastered)
USSR State Chamber Orchestra, Andrei Gavrilov, Shang Tkhay Shan
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on 15 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Art Of Mendelssohn
Classical - Released by Armasi on 31 Aug 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wedding Classical Music
Classical - Released by Classic Records on 19 Apr 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Incidental Music, Op. 61 (Digitally Remastered)
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on 15 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Intégrale des sonates et diverses pièces pour orgue
Classical - Released by Saphir Productions on 2 Nov 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best of Mendelssohn
Symphonic Music - Released by Past Classics on 13 Jul 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave), Op. 26
Classical - Released by Audiofonic Records on 18 Sep 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn / Glazunov: Violin Concertos
Classical - Released by YOYO USA, Inc. on 11 Jan 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E Minor - Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor - Beethoven: Romance for Violin in F Major
New Philharmonic Orchestra, Jela Spitkova, Jan Prokop
Classical - Released by Blaricum CD Company (B.C.D.) B.V. on 24 Jan 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo