Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847) was a German composer of the Romantic era. Like Mozart, he was a child prodigy, but, unlike Mozart, his parents did not exploit that; rather, they encouraged him to be a child when he was a child. His mother, an amateur pianist, was his first piano teacher. His grandfather was the philosopher, Moses Mendelssohn, and his father, Abraham, was a banker. His father, a Jew, renounced the Jewish religion. Felix later embraced Christianity and became a Lutheran. He was very close to his sister, Fanny, who was also a great composer but, like Mozart’s sister, did not get the attention she deserved, that being focused only upon Felix. He died young, as did Mozart. He championed the music of J.S. Bach, which was generally overlooked during Bach’s lifetime. He was very much influenced by Bach and by his contrapuntal style (see the organ fugue, below). To my ear, his music often bears stylistic resemblance to that of Mozart. He was a contemporary of Hector Berlioz, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner.
Heilig – “Sacred Motet”
“Verleih uns Frieden”
CONCORSO MUSICA SACRA 2008 – SACRED MUSIC INT.L COMPETITION – Mendelssohn
“If With All Your Hearts”, from Elijah
“Lift Thine Eyes,” from Elijah SSA choir
Coro y Orq. Via Magna, Salmo 42
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Part #4,- “Lobgesang” op.52, Symphony in B Flat
Organ
Fugue in G Major, Opus 37, no. 2
Orgelsonate III A-Dur,
Happy and Blest Are They from St. Paul- Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The 5 Psalm Cantatas, for mixed choir, solists and orchestra
For a fitting tribute to Felix Mendelssohn, see:
Requiem for Fanny (Felix Mendelssohn) COMPLETE
Requiem for Fanny recreates the world of Felix Mendelssohn, to the musical accompaniment of his beautiful String Quartet No. 2. In a period setting, actors and dancers perform around and about the musicians, evoking the composer’s happy childhood and sophisticated milieu, as well as his close relationship with Goethe and his symbiotic relationship with his sister Fanny, herself a major composer.
The Bible Through Artists' Eyes 