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: Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra in D Minor, Op. 40 (Digitally Remastered)
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Ida Cernecka
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on 15 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Songs Without Words, Op. 30
Classical - Released by Audiofonic Records on 18 Sep 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Los Grandes de la Musica Clasica - Felix Mendelssohn Vol. 2
Classical - Released by ClassicalPirosDigital on 7 Jun 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sinfonie Nr. 4 A-Dur Op. 90 (Italienische Sinfonie) 3. Satz Con Moto Moderato
Felix Mendelssohn, Berliner Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
Classical - Released by Vintage Jukebox on 7 Jul 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
William Hayman Cummings, Felix Mendelssohn, Anita Baker
Classical - Released by Pastel Records Canada on 1 Nov 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grandes Epocas de la Música, Mendelsoohn, Sinfonia N.º 9
Jerusalem Chamber Orchestra "Kol Israel", Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper, Menahem Pressler
Classical - Released by JamadaClassics on 23 Nov 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Selección Clásicos - Vivaldi, Mozart, Mendelssohn
Classical - Released by ClassicalPirosDigital on 18 Jun 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto Nos. 1 & 2 - Haydn: Piano Concerto in D Major
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Ida Czernecka, Klara Havlikova
Classical - Released by Blaricum CD Company (B.C.D.) B.V. on 20 May 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn, Concierto para Violín No. 1, Sinfonía No. 4
Classical - Released by JamadaClassics on 23 Oct 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Felix Mendelssohn, Los Grandes de la Música Clásica
Classical - Released by Piros - Lucas on 2 Jul 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 12 - Capriccio, Op. 81, No. 3 - Schumann: String Quartet, Op. 41, No. 3
Chamber Music - Released by VDE-GALLO on 20 Mar 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Symphonie Nr. 5 in D Major, Op. 107 (Live)
Lausitzer Philharmonie, Dieter Kempe
Symphonic Music - Released by Prospect on 19 Apr 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Op. 90 arranged for piano four hands (Arr. for Piano Four Hands by Julius Rietz)
Classical - Released by Claudio Colombo on 3 Mar 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: The Hebrides, Op. 26 "Fingal´s Cave"
Felix Mendelssohn, Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, Christian Lindberg
Classical - Released by EUROPEAN GRAMOPHONE on 22 Aug 2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Artistry of Elisabeth Schumann (Digitally Remastered)
Elisabeth Schumann, George Schick, George Reeves
Opera - Released by EMG Classical on 27 Aug 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E Minor, Op. 64 (Digitally Remastered)
South German Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on 15 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra in G Minor, Op. 25 (Digitally Remastered)
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Ida Cernecka
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on 15 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: Sea, Stillness and Happy Sailing Overture, Op. 27 (Digitally Remastered)
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on 15 Jul 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Sinfonie No. 3, Op. 56
Felix Mendelssohn, Clemens Malich, Josa Bambirra Silveira Malich
Classical - Released by Charade on 17 Feb 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: The Six Organ Sonatas Op.65
Classical - Released by Claves Records on 1 Jan 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Classical - Released by Piros Comercial Digital on 15 Apr 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo