Felix Mendelssohn

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Lore & Background

Mendelssohn was born on 3 February 1809 in Hamburg, the second of four children. His grandfather was the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, but Felix was raised without religion until baptized at age seven into the Reformed Christian church. His sister Fanny received a similar musical education and was a talented composer and pianist; some of her early songs were published under Felix's name, and her Easter Sonata was mistakenly attributed to him after being lost and rediscovered in the 1970s. Mendelssohn studied counterpoint and composition with Carl Friedrich Zelter from at least May 1819. Zelter's conservative tastes and admiration for the Bach tradition played a significant part in forming Mendelssohn's musical tastes. He was recognized early as a musical prodigy, but his parents were cautious and did not seek to capitalize on his talent. At age 16 he wrote his String Octet in E-flat major, regarded as marking the beginning of his maturity as a composer. At 17 he wrote the Overture to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, perhaps the earliest example of a concert overture. He later wrote incidental music for the play, including the famous 'Wedding March', in 1843.

Reader's Guide

Mendelssohn enjoyed early success in Germany and revived interest in Johann Sebastian Bach, notably with his performance of the St Matthew Passion in 1829. He became well received throughout Europe as a composer, conductor and soloist; his ten visits to Britain, where many of his major works were premiered, form an important part of his career. His essentially conservative musical tastes set him apart from more adventurous contemporaries such as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Charles-Valentin Alkan and Hector Berlioz. The Leipzig Conservatory, which he founded, became a bastion of this anti-radical outlook. After a long period of relative denigration due to changing musical tastes and antisemitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his creative originality has been re-evaluated. He is now among the most popular composers of the Romantic era.

Did You Know?

• Mendelssohn's sister Fanny was a talented composer and pianist; some of her early songs were published under Felix's name, and her Easter Sonata was mistakenly attributed to him after being lost and rediscovered in the 1970s.
• At age 16 Mendelssohn wrote his String Octet in E-flat major, a work regarded as marking the beginning of his maturity as a composer.
• Mendelssohn's Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, written when he was 17, is perhaps the earliest example of a concert overture.
• In 1821, at age 12, Mendelssohn met the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who was greatly impressed and compared him to Mozart.
• Mendelssohn revived interest in Johann Sebastian Bach with his 1829 performance of the St Matthew Passion.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

Some people assume Mendelssohn was raised in the Jewish faith because his grandfather was the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. In fact, he was raised without religion until baptized at age seven into the Reformed Christian church. Another common misconception is that the "Wedding March" was written as a standalone piece; it was actually composed in 1843 as part of the incidental music for *A Midsummer Night's Dream*, decades after his famous concert overture for the same play.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

Mendelssohn's music endures because it effortlessly blends classical structure with Romantic expressiveness, as seen in works like the Violin Concerto and the *Hebrides* Overture. Yet his cultural impact extends beyond his own compositions: by reviving Bach’s *St. Matthew Passion* at age 20, he single-handedly rekindled interest in a master who might otherwise have remained obscure, reshaping the classical canon for generations.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (February 3, 1809 – November 4, 1847), a child-prodigy, thence a famous German composer. In his final years, Mendelssohn founded the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig." — Felix Mendelssohn "Ich überhaupt vielseitigkeit nicht recht mag, oder eigentlich nicht recht daran glaube. Was eigenthümlich, und schön, und groß sein soll, das muß einseitig sein." — Felix Mendelssohn "I dislike many-sidedness, which, moreover, I rather think I do not much believe in. Anything that aspires to be distinguished, or beautiful, or really great, must be one-sided." — Felix Mendelssohn