Felix Mendelssohn Essay

Felix Mendelssohn was natural in Hamburg, Germany on February 3, 1809. He was whiz of four children, Fanny, Rebekah, and Paul were his siblings. He showed forward his talent at a new climb on by playing the piano, violin, ikon and gifted in many langu maturates. When he moved to Berlin, Felix studied piano and constitution under Ludwig Berger and Karl F. Zelter. Zelter took his 12 year sexagenarian student to visit Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German poet. Goethe was very fascinated by the small man and later heard his B minor pianoforte quartet and showed much(prenominal) appreciation that Mendelssohn dedicated the piece to Goethe. non only did Mendelssohn find inspiration in the working of Goethe, that he in like manner was inspired byt the works of William Shakespeare. At the age of 17, he placid the overture to A Midsummer Nights brea social occasion in Opus 21. Mendelssohn then went on to study at Berlin University where he obdurate that symphony was his passi on and chosen profession. later on his college historic period, Mendelssohn traveled and performed all around Europe. In 1812 he visited London, a city where he quite enjoyed performing, and he performed his Hebrides Overture. In 1833, he took on the post of practice of medicine director at Dsseldorf, giving plan performances of Handels Messiah among others. That same year, he composed many of his own verbal works, including Lord, Have Mercy Upon Us,, and the Opera, Trala. A frischer Bua lay in i, as well as the Italian music (Todd). At the age of 26, Mendelssohn moved to Leipzig and became conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He performed works by Bach and Beethoven merely at the time was not really interested in Bachs music. Early in 1829, Mendelssohn had made his institution as a Maestro. He was the premier to conduct Bachs St. Matthew heating plant since the composers death in 1750. In 1832, Mendelssohn married Ccile Jeanrenaud, the daughter of a Protestan t clergyman. They had five children, Carl, Marie, Paul, Felix and Lilli. Over the age that followed, he gave many successful performances of his work, and those of other great composers as well. Mendelssohn composed many works for the piano, which was pretty popular at the time.In 1843, Mendelssohn founded and directed the Leipzig Conservatory, where he withal taught if his busy schedule allowed it. In plus to his post at the Conservatory, Mendelssohn was named director of the euphony Section of the Academy of Arts in Berlin by King Frederick of Prussia, but this accommodation wasnt entirely pleasing for Mendelssohn, who was oft asked to compose on demand. He was leftover with little time for his own work, but he still managed to compose much(prenominal) masterpieces as the Ruy Blas overture, stage music for Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream, of which the now world-famous Wedding troop was a part of, and The Scottish Symphony, the third of the five symphonies he compo sed during his lifetime (Lewis). Felix Mendelssohn was very close to his family. From his baby Fanny to his father, to his own wife and children, and he cherished the moments spent with them. When his father died in 1835, Mendelssohn felt like he had lose his best friend. S pull down years later, his incur died, adding to the tragedy. His child Fanny suffered a shaft while rehearsing for a Sunday concert. She died on May 14th, 1847. He himself suffered two strokes, the destination of which killed him on November 4th, 1847. He was 38 years old. He was buried a wideside his sister in the cemetery of Holy report Church in Berlin. Some critics may argue that he would have been other Bach or Mozart if he had suffered more in life, as the tortured workman clich dictates. Schuman agreed with Mendelssohn on one thing criticism. To a certain extent the German nation has recovered from one faulting in judgment the tendency to tax Schuman above Mendelssohn was a very long time mist akable (Grove). Nearly a degree Celsius years after his death, the Nazis tried to humiliate him, taking down his statue in Leipzig, and even going as far as forbidding the study and performance of his music (Lewis). Of course, none of their efforts to silence the voice of wiz had any success, and Mendelssohn is now considered the 19th light speed equivalent of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mendelssohn will remain the more or less successful composer of his time, surely deserving a place alongside greats such as Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven. He was most known for fiddle Concerto in E Minor, incidental music for A Midsummer Nights Dream, five symphonies, including no. 3 Italian and no. 4 Scottish and the oratorios Elijah and St. Paul. whole caboodle CitedGrove, George, and Stanley Sadie. Groves Dictionary of symphony and Musicians. London MacMillan Publishers, 1980. Print. Lewis, Ronald. Felix Mendelssohn Biography. Felix Mendelsohn.com. 2002. Web. 15 March 2012. http//www.felixmendel ssohn.com/felix_mendelssohn_bio_001.htm Todd, R. Larry. Mendelssohn A Life in Music. New York Oxford University Press, 2003. Print.