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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Der Schwarzwald
Helmut Frei, Felix Mendelssohn
Humour/Spoken Word - Released by SWR Mediaservices GmbH on Jun 17, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Oh Täler weit, oh Höhen (Streifzüge durch die südwestdeutschen Mittelgebirge)
Helmut Frei, Felix Mendelssohn
Humour/Spoken Word - Released by SWR Mediaservices GmbH on Jun 19, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Autumnal Mendelssohn
Classical - Released by UME - Global Clearing House on Oct 10, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn - Bartholdy
South German Philharmonic, Philharmonia Slovanica, Helena Spitcova
Classical - Released by JamadaDigital on Dec 14, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Mendelssohn - Psalmen
Classical - Released by ClassicalPirosDigital on Jul 11, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Famous Overtures - Concert Overtures
Hamburg Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
Classical - Released by Piros - Send on May 6, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Art of Nikolai Golovanov: Mendelssohn - A Midsummer Night's Dream Suite
Classical - Released by Music Online on Dec 7, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Los Grandes de la Musica Clasica - Felix Mendelssohn Vol. 1
Symphonic Festival Orchestra, Württembergisches Kammerorchester
Classical - Released by ClassicalPirosDigital on Jun 7, 2015
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A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61
Classical - Released by Audiofonic Records on Sep 18, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61
Illona Steingruber, Dagmar Hermann
Classical - Released by Tuxedo Music on Apr 30, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Clásicos inolvidables, Vol. 3
Classical - Released by Iswjdigital on Jun 5, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Las Bodas y Su Música
Classical - Released by Piros - Artyvoz on Nov 6, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Oistrakh Plays Mendelssohn and Dvorák Concertos
Classical - Released by Pipeline Music on Nov 29, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Classical Best Hits - Mendelssohn, Grieg, Brahms, Bizet, Strauss
Hamburg Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester
Classical - Released by Piros Comercial Digital on Apr 24, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Spring Song
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Heritage Records on Aug 15, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sad Piano
Classical - Released by Classic Records on Mar 2, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Calm Classical Music
Classical - Released by Music Ware on Dec 14, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les plus belles musiques de mariage
Classical - Released by Music Ware on Apr 18, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Works by Mendelssohn & Mussorgsky
Classical - Released by GM Recordings on Jan 1, 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo