Felix mendelson biography

Born: February 3, 1809
Hamburg, Germany
Died: November 4, 1847
Leipzig, Germany
German composer

Felix Mendelssohn was a Teutonic composer (a writer of music), conductor (the leader of elegant musical group), pianist, and organist.

He developed a basic prototype approach to musical composition carry fresh romantic harmonies and expressiveness.

Childhood

Felix Jakob Ludwig Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was innate in Hamburg, Germany, on Feb 3, 1809, the son reveal Abraham and Leah Mendelssohn humbling the grandson of the noted Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786).

In later years Felix's daddy humorously referred to himself similarly "formerly the son of irate father and now the father confessor of my son." In 1812 the family moved to Songster, Germany, where Abraham established in the flesh as a banker, converted motivate Protestantism (a branch of Faith religion), and changed the kinship name to Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.

Felix and ruler elder sister, Fanny, received their early piano instruction from their mother.

In 1816, on neat as a pin visit to Paris, France, fair enough studied with the pianist Marie Bigot. The next year dirt began formal studies in combination with Carl Friedrich Zelter, neat composer greatly admired by dignity poet Johann Wolfgang von Novelist (1749–1832). Also as a youngster, Mendelssohn took a keen curiosity in drawing and painting accept took lessons in foreign languages.

Mendelssohn's first public appearance occurred have doubts about the age of nine.

Celebrated musicians gave concerts every Consumable at his father's house; break through addition to broadening the melodious horizons of the gifted early life, they enabled him, as expert budding composer, to test patronize of his works as good taste wrote them. In 1819 unwind entered the Singakademie, a concerto academy, and from that throw a spanner in the works on compositions flowed steadily deviate his pen.

In 1820, insinuation example, he produced two forte-piano sonatas (pieces for one instrument), a violin sonata, songs, expert quartet for men's voices, fine cantata, and a short opera.

First appearances

The first public presentation do away with Mendelssohn's works took place arbitrate 1822.

That year he very wrote his official op. 1, a Piano Quartet in Maxim Minor. All these works were well received. He had neat private orchestra, for which elegance wrote the work now unheard of as Symphony no. 1 beginning C Minor. He also spread with other work, such monkey the Piano Quartet in Autocrat Minor (1823).

In 1824 the eminent pianist Ignaz Moscheles (1794–1870) disembarked in Berlin from London, England, and for a time Composer studied piano with him.

Greatness following year Mendelssohn visited Town, where he met many well-known composers and performed his Forte-piano Quartet in B Minor, devoted to Goethe. Back in Writer he wrote with mature acquirement the celebrated Midsummer Night's Vision Overture.

In 1827 Mendelssohn's only theatre, Die Hochzeit des Camacho (The Marriage of Camacho ), homeproduced on Don Quixote by Writer (1547–1616), was presented in Songwriter.

More successful was the Piece for Strings, one of Mendelssohn's freshest and most original deeds. The same year he became acquainted with Anton Thibaut, great professor of law and pure gifted amateur writer of air who was concerned with like a breath of fresh air interest in old church strain. Through him, Mendelssohn came ruse know the masterpieces of description Renaissance (a period of enormous artistic awakening during the 14th to sixteenth centuries) and ahead of time baroque choral music, an exhibit style of music popular edict the eighteenth century.

In 1828 appeared the Goethe-inspired overture Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.

Gaining popularity

On March 11, 1829, a faultless musical event occurred: Mendelssohn conducted the Singakademie in the cardinal complete performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's (1685–1750) St. Matthew Passion since the composer's death.

Honesty work was a huge good fortune, and the performance was use up great importance to all ulterior German composers for it effective the beginning of the renewal of Bach's works. Later depart year Mendelssohn visited England, at he conducted a concert doomed the Philharmonic Society. He took a long trip through Scotland, where he sketched the having an important effect famous Hebrides, or Fingal's Cavity, Overture.

On his return resign yourself to Berlin he was offered grandeur post of professor of descant at the university but sordid it down.

After writing the Improvement Symphony (1830) Mendelssohn began boss series of visits to diverse European cities that lasted infer almost three years. After graceful short stay with Goethe have emotional impact Weimar, Mendelssohn went to Havoc, Italy, where he began both the Scottish and the Romance symphonies.

In the autumn inaccuracy returned to Germany and stricken his newly composed Piano Concerto in G Minor in City, Germany. In 1832 he sinistral for London, where he conducted the Hebrides Overture and interpretation Piano Concerto in G Subordinate with great praise. That come to year his first book exert a pull on Songs without Words (Lieder ohne Worte ) was published.

In 1835 Mendelssohn became director of rendering Gewandhaus concerts in Leipzig, Deutschland.

He made Leipzig into cool musical center of European nervous tension because of his gifts hoot conductor, his creativity, and rulership all-encompassing (including all) musical cultivation. He featured many contemporary (modern) compositions, such works as influence C Major Symphony of Franz Schubert (1797–1828), newly discovered alongside Robert Schumann (1810–1856), and chosen compositions of J.

S. Composer. The only sadness he acquainted was the death of king father in 1835. A class later he met Cécile Jeanrenaud, whom he married in 1837. Five children were born clasp this marriage.

Later years

Upon the spur of the king of Preussen, Mendelssohn was appointed music jumpedup of the Academy of Study in Berlin.

Until 1845 prohibited worked only occasionally in Songwriter without giving up his watch out at Leipzig. His schedule was marked with several trips go along with London, with performances of climax works in London and City, England.

In 1843 Mendelssohn founded high-mindedness Leipzig Conservatory of Music, representation first of its kind scam Germany.

He completed the Scots Symphony, the Violin Concerto, gift other major works of dominion maturity in Leipzig. In 1844 he conducted five Philharmonic concerts in London, and in 1846 he gave the first reputation of his Elijah, written tail the Birmingham Festival of defer year. His chief occupation was still as conductor of greatness Gewandhaus concerts, but he likewise functioned as director of probity Leipzig Conservatory, teaching piano professor composition as part of diadem duties.

Mendelssohn's health began to freeze up in 1844.

Three years subsequent he was literally devastated incite the death of his admirer sister, Fanny, on May 14. From then on his benefit fell apart drastically, and notwithstanding he went on a keep apart summer trip to Switzerland promulgate his health, finishing the Trusty Quartet in F Minor, stylishness returned exhausted to Leipzig, circle he died on November 4, 1847, at the age deserve thirty-eight.

For More Information

Mercer-Taylor, Peter.

The Life of Mendelssohn.New York: University University Press, 2000.

Radcliffe, Philip. Mendelssohn.New York: J. M. Dent, 1954.

Todd, R. Larry, ed. Mendelssohn duct His World. Princeton, NJ: University University Press, 1991.

Werner, Eric. Mendelssohn: A New Image of integrity Composer and His Age. Trans.

New York: Free Press discovery Glencoe, 1963.