Sonatas, op. 65
Composer
Background
Mendelssohn published his six organ sonatas in 1845. They were comissioned by Vincent Novello, a prominent music publisher in London. Many of the pieces in the movements were written previously as stand-alone pieces; others were written specifically for the collection.
For more historical background on the Sonatas as a group, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_Sonatas,_Op._65_(Mendelssohn)#The_music
The term 'sonata' does not refer to the classical sonata form, like the sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, or even Chopin. Instead, Mendelssohn's sonata movements use a variety of styles and formal structures.
The AGO Service Playing Exam allows for "a single movement from any work by Mendelssohn" sonatas to be played on the exam, except for the opening chorales of Sonatas 5 and 6. see below for a discussion of each movement.
