FELIX MENDELSSOHN

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn, grandson of the sage of the German Enlightenment, Moses Mendelssohn, was one of the most gifted and influential musicians of the XIX century. Wonder-child, piano virtuoso, conductor and a pioneer and leading the administrator, writer of romantic music great classical beauty and restraint, Mendelssohn in a short time has made significant changes in how music composed, performed and heard. Life of Mendelssohn as Jew symbolized the rise of the XIX century. after centuries of oppression and degeneration in the most enlightened level of expression.

Like his grandfather, Felix constantly sought to educate, to speak as clearly as possible. While his music often had a literary and geographic reference (in agreement with the romantic movement), it has great attention to classical form. His Concerto for violin - the finest product of its kind, an excellent example of merging classical and romantic. Mendelssohn on the right compared with the great German poet Goethe, for a unique combination of classic and romantic. Although we hear in his music echoes of Bach, Handel, Mozart and Beethoven, Mendelssohn himself served as a model for many later composers, including Wagner, Brahms, Dvorak and Mahler.

Felix was born in a rather wealthy and influential family. His father Abraham was a North German banker who provided the family a luxurious home, enriched the musical works of his sons. Two sisters and a brother Felix were talented musicians who participated in the family musical evenings, which are often organized by their brother-prodigy. In particular, his sister Fanny was an excellent pianist and composer, as well as a life trustee of the famous brothers.

Felix Mendelssohn was probably the greatest child prodigy in music history (even greater than Mozart). Like Mozart, he was playing his sister, who helped develop it and voiced his ideas.

Photo — «Felix Mendelssohn»

Like Mozart′s music from an early age he was familiar with the outstanding writers, artists and musicians: Goethe, Hegel′s philosophy, composer-pianist Muzio Clementi, Ignaz Moshelesom and John Field. The famous German poet Goethe encouraged Felix combine classical formal scheme with a purely aristocratic expressiveness.

Inviting for a fee in the house large groups of musicians to listen to the young Mendelssohn, Felix, his father helped to mature much earlier than it was in normal and even the great composers. In a series of string symphonies he composed in his teens, followed by written, respectively, in the sixteen and seventeen years a large chamber work "Octet" and the overture to Shakespeare′s Midsummer Night′s Dream. " "Octet" and the overture is so harmonious and melodic, it is almost impossible to believe that they invented a very young author. Notably, that during their works in Vienna, Beethoven was still alive, which gave his last works. Being in a better financial situation, Mendelssohn - before Berlioz and Schumann, Wagner and Liszt - prepared the music scene for the rising romantic music. Although he was influenced by Beethoven in the use of the orchestra and the formal constructions, Mandelson returned to the musical palette of liveliness and lightness. "Sturm und Drang" of Haydn and Beethoven gave way to a more pastoral approach. Music Mendelssohn much more comforting and reassuring because of its ease and easy elegance.

In the Berlin Choral Academy of the young Felix was a test not only the Beethoven, but the older music, mostly by Johann Sebastian Bach. The latter was not then widely known, except that the most educated musicians. Influence of the rich multi-layered compositions of Bach enriched the free use of counterpoint in a fast-growing style of Mendelssohn.

An important result was the resumption of Mendelssohn masterpiece of Bach′s "St.

Photo — «Felix Mendelssohn»

Matthew Passion" in 1829, first performance of this oratorio after the death of Bach for the seventy-nine years before permanently enhance the reputation of the great Baroque composer, and marked the real start of the awareness and attention to the music written earlier.

At the time of Mendelssohn concerts are usually compiled from a variety of programs that include short light pieces, parts of larger works, and always new music, composed by executing at least the interpretation of any of the old masters. When at the age of twenty-six years old Mendelssohn took up the device in the Gewandhaus concerts ( "House of clothing") in Leipzig, he forever changed the order of their compilation. Present work fully, invited well-known soloists (such as Liszt and Russian Anton Rubinstein) and is deeply revered by the great masters.

Conductor Mendelssohn also formed Gewandhaus Orchestra in a whole, playing in unison only under his leadership as a performing entity, not a few. He became the first modern conductor. Before Mendelssohn Conductor limited alignment with the first violin. Mendelssohn used the hand movement in order to set the pace, causing the dynamic response of artists and lead, so the orchestra.

He also organized the Leipzig Conservatory - the first major musical academy. It taught the fine masters, including the immortal composer Robert Schumann and his wife - a great pianist Clara Schumann. Mendelssohn traveled extensively, describing a visit to his favorite places in the romantic works. His symphony "Scottish" and "Italian" and Overture "Fingal′s Cave" evokes an interesting geography and culture of Europe. These works were the first examples of a kind of nationalistic music which will prevail in many countries of the continent became independent.

In addition, Mandelson defended the music of his contemporaries, like Chopin, Liszt and his close friend of Schumann.

Mendelssohn also wrote much music for plays, picking up secondary to a level of importance. Following the example of Bach and Handel, he composed the oratorio on biblical subjects. His "Elijah" and "St. Paul" had caused such enthusiasm, especially in England, that emerged almost immediately dozens oratorio societies and local communities have competed in almost religious chanting his music. Oratorio XIX century. , Who grew up in the final analysis of works by Mendelssohn, Bach and Handel, dominated the musical creativity of the era of Queen Victoria.

Religious life Mendelssohn symbolic for the German Jew in the XIX. The grandson of the great Jewish philosopher since Maimonides and Spinoza, Felix approached the age of seven in the Lutheran church. Later, his father forced him to add a Christian name to the name Bartholdy Mendelssohn as a sign of assimilation. While many of his works are the names of Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, and he considered himself a Protestant, Jewish heritage will never be forgotten. Mendelssohn saw in Christianity a logical continuation of his Judaism. Moreover, in Berlin, blaming anti-Semitism, and despite the fact that the Prussian laws give the Jews of civil liberties, greater recognition and equality gave the treatment. Assimilation and wealth before Mendelssohn opened many doors. Unmet nevertheless easy bourgeois life, he feverishly sought astonishing success and influence in many areas. Despite a happy marriage with the daughter of the Calvinist pastor, who bore him five children, Mendelssohn was terribly upset the death of his beloved sister Fanny. Followed by several strokes, and at the age of thirty-eight years, he died the most famous musician in Europe.