Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy is considered one of the most important and prolific composers of the 19th century. An important representative of the Romantic movement, Mendelssohn composed works in a wide variety of fields such as symphonies, concertos, chamber music and choral works.
If you want to write an essay about Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, I can give you some information and tips. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor who lived in the early 19th century. He is considered one of the most important musicians of the Romantic period. The grandson of the famous philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, Felix converted to Protestantism at the age of seven, despite coming from a Jewish family. He took this decision under pressure from both his family and society. ¹
Felix showed his musical talent at a very early age. He took his first piano lessons from his mother and his older sister Fanny. Fanny was also a very talented composer and pianist. She published some of her works under her sister’s name. After moving to Berlin, Felix studied theory and composition with Carl Zelter. Zelter introduced him to the German poet Goethe. Goethe was impressed by Felix’s talent and gave him a poem as a gift. In addition to Goethe’s poems, Felix was also inspired by the works of Shakespeare. The overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an example of this inspiration. ²
Throughout his life, Felix traveled to many parts of Europe and performed his works there. He especially traveled to England ten times and was very popular there. He wrote works such as the Italian Symphony and the Scottish Symphony, influenced by these travels. In addition, his admiration for Bach’s works led him to revive Bach’s forgotten works. In 1829, he performed Bach’s St. Matthew Passion for the first time in 100 years. This renewed interest in Bach’s music. ³
In 1835, Felix became the conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. Here, in addition to his own works, he also performed works by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert and Weber. He also founded the Leipzig Conservatory and contributed to music education. In 1843, at the invitation of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia in Berlin, Felix began giving music lessons to the royal family. During this time, he became close to the king’s daughter Princess Cecile and fell in love with her. However, since the princess was engaged, this love remained unrequited. Felix expressed this love pain with a symphony he named Cecile. ⁴
In 1847, Felix was very saddened by the sudden death of his sister Fanny. This event also had a negative impact on his health. In November of the same year, he suffered a stroke and died at the age of 38. Felix was buried in Leipzig, next to Bach’s grave. After his death, Felix was recognized as one of the greatest composers in the history of music. His works have both classical and romantic characteristics. His symphonies, concertos, piano music, organ music and chamber music reflect his rich and varied musical output. ⁵
The most famous works of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy:
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s most famous work is perhaps the overture to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”⁴, known as the “Wedding March¹²³. This work was composed in 1842 for William Shakespeare’s play of the same name. Today it is one of the most common musical compositions in the world and is the most frequently performed music at weddings in western countries. Felix wrote this piece when he was 17 years old. ⁵
Other famous works of Felix include the “Italian Symphony”, “Scottish Symphony”, “Reformation Symphony”, “Violin Concerto”, “Piano Concertos”, “Organ Sonatas”, “Octet for Strings” and the oratorio “Elijah”. Felix wrote works with both classical and romantic characteristics. He was influenced by composers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Weber. ⁵
Source:
(1) Felix Mendelssohn – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Mendelssohn.
(2) Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – Wikipedia. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Mendelssohn_Bartholdy.
(3) フェリックス・メンデルスゾーン – Wikipedia. https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AA%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9%E3%83%BB%E3%83%A1%E3%83%B3%E3%83%87%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BE%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3.
(4) Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) – Mahler Foundation. https://mahlerfoundation.org/mahler/contemporaries/felix-mendelssohn-bartholdy/.
(5) Felix! | Mendelssohn Haus Leipzig. https://www.mendelssohn-stiftung.de/de/felix.
(1) Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – Wikipedia. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Mendelssohn_Bartholdy.
(2) Answer to the clue question: Felix Mendelssohn “Wedding … – Habertürk. https://www.haberturk.com/hadi-ipucu-sorusu-cevabi-felix-mendelssohn-dugun-marsi-eserini-hangi-oyun-icin-bestelemistir-hadi-100-2345881.
(3) Wedding march (Mendelssohn) – Wikipedia. https://bing.com/search?q=Felix+Mendelssohn-Bartholdy+en+%c3%c3%bcnl%c3%bc+work.
(4) Wedding march (Mendelssohn) – Wikipedia. https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BC%C4%9F%C3%BCn_mar%C5%9F%C4%B1_%28Mendelssohn%29.
(5) For which play Felix Mendelssohn composed the Wedding March …. https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2019/gundem/felix-mendelssohn-dugun-marsi-eserini-hangi-oyun-icin-bestelemistir-3423326.
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