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Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 - 1847)
Felix Mendelssohn (as he is known in most English-speaking countries) was a composer of incredibly beautiful melodies in a variety of settings, whether symphonies, overtures and incidental music, or chamber music. He was a genuine prodigy, playing and composing when he was quite young. In fact, he was the only prodigy from the 19th century that could rival Mozart from the 18th. Unlike Mozart, however, Mendelssohn's parents chose not to exploit their son's talents and trot him out to perform for cash, which resulted in, among other things, Mendelssohn's more stable personality.
Some of his most beautiful works were composed when he was in his teens, and in fact, notes he wrote when touring Italy (a trip which became the inspiration for his famous 4th Symphony) indicate that in his early 20s he was already tiring a bit of the pressures of composing, feeling as though he'd already done a lifetime's worth of work.
Regardless of his feelings at that time, he wasn't nearly as prolific as Mozart, much to the detriment of the musical world, since, also like Mozart, he died quite young.
A great place to begin an appreciation of Medelssohn's music is his incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, a portion of which can be heard here:
The same piece also includes the very well-known "Wedding March":
Another favorite of mine is his 4th Symphony, called the "Italian." Movie fans from the '70s may recognize themes from its 1st and 4th movements as having figured prominently in the film Breaking Away, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adaptive Score. Here is the first movement:
and the 4th:
Felix Mendelssohn (as he is known in most English-speaking countries) was a composer of incredibly beautiful melodies in a variety of settings, whether symphonies, overtures and incidental music, or chamber music. He was a genuine prodigy, playing and composing when he was quite young. In fact, he was the only prodigy from the 19th century that could rival Mozart from the 18th. Unlike Mozart, however, Mendelssohn's parents chose not to exploit their son's talents and trot him out to perform for cash, which resulted in, among other things, Mendelssohn's more stable personality.
Some of his most beautiful works were composed when he was in his teens, and in fact, notes he wrote when touring Italy (a trip which became the inspiration for his famous 4th Symphony) indicate that in his early 20s he was already tiring a bit of the pressures of composing, feeling as though he'd already done a lifetime's worth of work.
Regardless of his feelings at that time, he wasn't nearly as prolific as Mozart, much to the detriment of the musical world, since, also like Mozart, he died quite young.
A great place to begin an appreciation of Medelssohn's music is his incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, a portion of which can be heard here:
The same piece also includes the very well-known "Wedding March":
Another favorite of mine is his 4th Symphony, called the "Italian." Movie fans from the '70s may recognize themes from its 1st and 4th movements as having figured prominently in the film Breaking Away, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adaptive Score. Here is the first movement:
and the 4th:
