Felix Mendelssohn: the story on HearLore

Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn was born on the 3rd of February 1809 in Hamburg. His father Abraham Mendelssohn was a banker who had converted to Christianity before Felix's birth. The family moved to Berlin in 1811 to escape French reprisals against their banking firm. They lived in an intellectual salon where visitors included Wilhelm von Humboldt and mathematician Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet. Felix grew up without religious education until he was baptized at age seven into the Reformed Christian church. His grandfather Moses Mendelssohn was a famous Jewish philosopher whose works Felix later championed. The name Bartholdy was added to his surname by his mother's brother Jakob Salomon Bartholdy. This change represented a decisive break with Jewish traditions according to Abraham Mendelssohn. He stated that no Christian Mendelssohn could exist just as no Jewish Confucius existed.

The Prodigy And The Teacher

Mendelssohn began piano lessons at age six under his mother Lea Salomon. At seven years old he studied counterpoint with Carl Friedrich Zelter in Berlin. Zelter had been recommended by Sarah Levy who owned a collection of Bach manuscripts. These early studies shaped Mendelssohn's conservative musical tastes throughout his life. Between ages twelve and fourteen he wrote thirteen string symphonies for private concerts. His first published work appeared when he was thirteen years old. A piano quartet titled Opus One came out through the house of Schlesinger. By sixteen he composed his String Octet in E-flat major which critics call the beginning of his maturity. The Overture to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream followed a year later in 1826. Ignaz Moscheles taught him briefly but confessed he had little to offer such a gifted student. They became lifelong friends despite their different temperaments.

When was Felix Mendelssohn born and where did he grow up?

Felix Mendelssohn was born on the 3rd of February 1809 in Hamburg. He grew up in Berlin after his family moved there in 1811 to escape French reprisals against their banking firm.

What major event revived interest in Bach's music through Felix Mendelssohn?

In 1829 Felix Mendelssohn conducted a performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion in Berlin using the orchestra and choir from the Berlin Singakademie. This event revived interest in Bach's music across Germany and eventually all of Europe.

How many times did Felix Mendelssohn visit Britain during his lifetime?

Felix Mendelssohn made ten visits to Britain lasting about twenty months total. He won a strong following that enabled him to make a good impression on British musical life including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Why were Felix Mendelssohn's works banned by the Nazi regime?

The Nazi regime banned performance and publication of Felix Mendelssohn's works citing his Jewish origin. They asked composers like Carl Orff to rewrite incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream and removed a monument erected in 1892 in 1936.

Which famous violin concerto did Ferdinand David premiere for Felix Mendelssohn?

Joseph Joachim called the Violin Concerto in E minor Opus Sixty-Four one of four great violin concertos alongside those by Beethoven Brahms and Bruch. The work premiered in 1844 for Ferdinand David who was also a teacher at the Leipzig Conservatory.

Felix Mendelssohn

The Prodigy And The Teacher

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Common questions

When was Felix Mendelssohn born and where did he grow up?

What major event revived interest in Bach's music through Felix Mendelssohn?

How many times did Felix Mendelssohn visit Britain during his lifetime?

Why were Felix Mendelssohn's works banned by the Nazi regime?

Which famous violin concerto did Ferdinand David premiere for Felix Mendelssohn?

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