Felix Mendelssohn: Difference between revisions
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*1833-1835 Mendelssohn served as the musical director of Duesseldorf, where among other responsibilities he prepared a major choral work each month to be performed at high mass, including works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and Bach. He revived the musical form of the oratorio, and began composing his own oratorio, St. Paul, during this period. | *1833-1835 Mendelssohn served as the musical director of Duesseldorf, where among other responsibilities he prepared a major choral work each month to be performed at high mass, including works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and Bach. He revived the musical form of the oratorio, and began composing his own oratorio, St. Paul, during this period. | ||
*1835-1840 Mendelssohn accepted a position as music director of the orchestra in Leipzig, where he helped revive the city's musical institutions. He became the most prominent German musician of his time. Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck were his contemporaries and friends in Leipzig. This is the period during which he composed his organ Preludes and Fugues. | *1835-1840 Mendelssohn accepted a position as music director of the orchestra in Leipzig, where he helped revive the city's musical institutions. He became the most prominent German musician of his time. Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck were his contemporaries and friends in Leipzig. This is the period during which he composed his organ Preludes and Fugues. | ||
*1840-1847 Mendelssohn continued in Leipzig, while also traveling extensively to London and many other places. He rediscovered Handel's music and renewed interest in its performance. During this period he also founded the Leipzig conservatory. | *1840-1847 Mendelssohn continued in Leipzig, while also traveling extensively to London and many other places. He rediscovered Handel's music and renewed interest in its performance. During this period he also founded the Leipzig conservatory. During his visits to London, Mendelssohn performed a series of organ recitals. | ||
*1845 Mendelssohn published his organ sonatas. | *1845 Mendelssohn published his organ sonatas. | ||
*1846 Mendelssohn finished and published his oratorio "Elijah." | *1846 Mendelssohn finished and published his oratorio "Elijah." | ||
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Oxford Music Online biography of Mendelssohn: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/51795?q=felix+mendelssohn&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit | Oxford Music Online biography of Mendelssohn: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/51795?q=felix+mendelssohn&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit | ||
==List of Pieces== | ==List of Pieces== | ||
Revision as of 19:21, 12 September 2014
Synopsis
German composer, conductor, pianist, organist
- 1809 born in Hamburg. The Mendelssohn family moved to Berlin in 1811.
- 1821-1829 studied and performed in Berlin. He performed widely and composed many of his early works, including 12 symphonies before the age of 15. At age 15 his first symphony, number 11, was composed and published; at age 16 he began to compose fully mature works. His early teachers and patrons included Ludwig Berger, a former pupil of Clementi; Carl Friedrich Zelter, who taught him counterpoint and was heavily influenced by J. S. Bach; and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who pronounced him a child prodigy as promising as Mozart.
- 1826-1829 studied at Berlin University
- 1829 Mendelssohn conducted the first performance of the St. Matthew Passion, one J. S. Bach's greatest works, since the composer's death, to great acclaim. This sparked renewed interest in Bach's works, and was the beginning of the revival of the popularity Bach's music in Germany, largely due to Mendelssohn's continued interest.
- 1829-1832 Mendelssohn engaged in a musical tour of Europe, performing and composing as he did so.
- 1833-1835 Mendelssohn served as the musical director of Duesseldorf, where among other responsibilities he prepared a major choral work each month to be performed at high mass, including works by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and Bach. He revived the musical form of the oratorio, and began composing his own oratorio, St. Paul, during this period.
- 1835-1840 Mendelssohn accepted a position as music director of the orchestra in Leipzig, where he helped revive the city's musical institutions. He became the most prominent German musician of his time. Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck were his contemporaries and friends in Leipzig. This is the period during which he composed his organ Preludes and Fugues.
- 1840-1847 Mendelssohn continued in Leipzig, while also traveling extensively to London and many other places. He rediscovered Handel's music and renewed interest in its performance. During this period he also founded the Leipzig conservatory. During his visits to London, Mendelssohn performed a series of organ recitals.
- 1845 Mendelssohn published his organ sonatas.
- 1846 Mendelssohn finished and published his oratorio "Elijah."
- 1847 died in Leipzig following a series of strokes, probably exacerbated by overwork, distress at the recent deaths of family members, and exhaustion.
For details, see the Felix Mendelssohn article on Wikipedia.
Oxford Music Online biography of Mendelssohn: http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/51795?q=felix+mendelssohn&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit
List of Pieces
| Opus | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Op. 37 no. 1 | Prelude and Fugue No. 1 | 1837 |
| Op. 37 no. 2 | Prelude and Fugue No. 2 | 1837 |
| Op. 37 no. 3 | Prelude and Fugue No. 3 | 1837 |
| Opus | Sonata | Movement | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Op. 65 no. 1 | Sonata 1 |
1. Allegro moderato e serioso 2. Adagio 3. Andante Recit 4. Allegro assai vivace |
1845 |
| Op. 65 no. 2 | Sonata 2 |
1. Grave 2. Adagio 3. Allegro maestoso e vivace 4. Fuga |
1845 |
| Op. 65 no. 3 | Sonata 3 |
1. Con moto maestoso 2. Andante tranquillo |
1845 |
| Op. 65 no. 4 | Sonata 4 |
1. Allegro con brio 2. Andante religioso 3. Allegretto 4. Allegro maestoso e vivace |
1845 |
| Op. 65 no. 5 | Sonata 5 |
1. Andante 2. Andante con moto 3. Allegro maestoso |
1845 |
| Op. 65 no. 6 | Sonata 6 |
1. Choral 2. Andante sostenuto 3. Allegro molto 4. Fuga 5. Final/Andante |
1845 |
Background and General Perspectives on Performing Mendelssohn Organ Works
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Registration and Organs
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See the footnote in the "Notes" section at the bottom of the page. [1]
Fingering and Pedaling
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Articulation and Phrasing
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Ornamentation
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Tempo and Meter
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Scores and Editions
IMSLP, Sonata various editions
- Free score download
IMSLP, Prelude and Fugue various editions
- Free score download
Recordings
John Scott Performs the Complete Works of Mendelssohn
- Retail Recording
Free Online
- Free Recording
Mendelssohn Organ Sonata #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjnLQ0t-sjQ
Mendelssohn Organ Sonata #4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvCsHdux7OY
Pay to Listen
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Other Resources
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Notes
- ↑ This footnote was entered in the "Registration and Organs" article
This space is for automatic insertion of footnotes. To enter a footnote from anywhere in the article, start by typing the tag <ref> and then enter the text, and type the tag </ref> to end the footnote. The footnote will then appear in this "Notes" section automatically.
