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Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, known
simply as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3, 1809
– November 4, 1847) was a Germany|German
composer of the early Romantic music|Romantic
period. He was considered the greatest child
prodigy after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart.
==Biography==
Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg, the son of a
banker, Abraham, who was himself the son of the
famous Jewish philosophy|philosopher, Moses
Mendelssohn. Felix's family, however, converted to
Lutheranism, and moved to Berlin in 1812. (Nazis
would later cite his Jewish origin in banning his
works and destroying a memorial  statue.) His
sister was Fanny Mendelssohn (later Fanny Hensel),
who was a well-known pianist and amateur composer
herself.

Mendelssohn began taking piano lessons from his
mother when he was six, and at seven was tutored
by Marie Bigot in Paris. From 1817 he studied
composition with Carl Friedrich Zelter in Berlin.
He probably made his first public concert
appearance at the age of nine, when he
participated in a chamber music concert. He was
also a prolific composer as a child, and wrote his
first published work, a piano quartet, by the time
he was thirteen. The elderly Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe|Goethe met the young Mendelssohn and took
quite a shine to him, known to say to him, "When I
am sad, come and cheer me with your playing."

As an adolescent, his works were performed at home
with a private orchestra for the elites and
intellectuals of Berlin.  Mendelssohn wrote his
first twelve symphony|symphonies in his early
teens (more specifically, from ages twelve to
fourteen; these works were considered lost for
over a century, but are now played with
regularity), growing with confidence until he
wrote his first symphony for full orchestra (and
first acknowledged), his opus number|opus 11 in C
minor  the year after; and at seventeen he wrote
an overture to William Shakespeare|Shakespeare's A
Midsummer Night's Dream, which is probably the
earliest well known work by him (he later wrote
more incidental music for the play). In 1827 he
saw the first production of one of his operas, Die
Hochzeit des Camacho, having written several
others before then.

Mendelssohn brought the music of Johann Sebastian
Bach to the public's notice, from its position of
relative obscurity at that time. In particular, a
performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion
(Bach)|St. Matthew Passion in 1829 under
Mendelssohn's direction was a great success.  This
was the first performance of the work since Bach's
death and earned Mendelssohn an international
reputation at age twenty. Mendelssohn was also a
major factor in the recovery of Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart|Mozart's works, and his own music (like
that of other composers at the time) showed both
Bach's and Mozart's influence.

Mendelssohn knew Hector Berlioz from their stay at
the French arts academy in Rome, Italy. They also
met later in life in Germany. These meetings are
described in Berlioz's memoirs.  Mendelssohn's
personal life was fairly conventional compared to
many other composers of note. For instance, his
marriage to CĂ©cile Jeanrenaud in March of 1837
turned out to be a very happy one. The couple also
had five children.  He performed as a pianist,
organist and conductor in Germany as well as in
England where his music was especially popular.

In 1835, he was appointed as conductor of the
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. In 1846, the
oratorio Elijah (oratorio)|Elijah premiered in
Birmingham. At age thirty-eight, he founded the
Leipzig Conservatory.

Mendelssohn suffered from bad health in the final
years of his life, and it is said he was greatly
depressed by the death of his sister Fanny in May
1847. Felix Mendelssohn died later that same year
after a series of strokes, on November 4, 1847, in
Leipzig. He is buried in the
Dreifaltigkeitsfriedhof (Trinity Cemetery) I in
Berlin-Kreuzberg.

==Musical influence==
As well as orchestral music, Mendelssohn wrote
chamber music, including the string octet in 1825,
pipe organ|organ sonatas, solo piano music,
including the Songs Without Words, and two large
oratorios, St. Paul in 1836 and Elijah (or Elias)
in 1846. These works, in particular, were greatly
influenced by Bach.

Mendelssohn's music in general has a light,
cheerful sound; even in minor keys, the high
spirits are never completely suppressed. This is
in contrast to the subdued melancholy of
Frédéric Chopin|Chopin's works, and is
reminiscent of Joseph Haydn|Haydn. Like Ludwig van
Beethoven|Beethoven and Franz Schubert|Schubert,
Mendelssohn straddles the Classical and Romantic
periods, although he is generally considered
Romantic. His earliest works were more Classical
than Romantic, but Romanticism is clear in his
mature works.

As well as reviving interest in Bach, Mendelssohn
also kept the work of Franz Schubert before the
public.  It was he who conducted the premiere of
Symphony No. 9 (Schubert)|Schubert's Ninth
Symphony, more than a decade after the composer's
death.  In all, not including very early (though
sometimes still played) works, Mendelssohn wrote
five symphonies. He also wrote five piano
concertos (three for one piano and two for two
pianos), and one famous Violin Concerto
(Mendelssohn)|violin concerto which is often seen
as an essential piece for young prodigies to play.
He also wrote a less-well known violin concerto,
as well as a concerto for piano and violin.

Mendelssohn wrote the concert overture The
Hebrides in 1830, otherwise known as Fingal's
Cave, a piece which remains popular today. The
work was inspired by visits he made to Scotland
around the end of the 1820s, though its main theme
is now known to have been sketched before this.
These visits also inspired his Symphony No. 3
(Mendelssohn)|Symphony No 3, The Scottish, which
was written intermittently between around 1830 and
1842. Unlike most pieces about nations written in
that day, Mendelssohn did not base his Scottish
Symphony on Scottish folk tunes, but rather how
visiting Scotland made him feel. Mendelssohn
travelled widely in Europe throughout his life,
and a visit to Italy inspired one of his best
known works, the Symphony No. 4
(Mendelssohn)|Symphony No 4 in A major, known as
the Italian, the final version of which was
completed in 1834.

Mendelssohn's wrote his renowned Violin Concerto
(Mendelssohn)|Violin Concerto in E Minor, op. 64,
in 1844.  This has become one of the most popular
of all of Mendelssohn's compositions, and has also
acquired a reputation, among violinists, as the
"initiation" piece to be played at the start of a
concert career.  Many violinists have commenced
their solo careers with a performance of this
concerto.  Perhaps most famous among them was
Jascha Heifetz, who gave his first public
performance of the piece at the age of seven.

Piano Concerto No. 1 (Mendelssohn)|Piano Concerto
No. 1 in G Minor, op. 25 and Piano Concerto No. 2
in D Minor, op. 40 are two more of Mendelssohn's
compositions that have accrued great fame over the
years. For the first piano concerto, the mighty,
thunderous tones of the piano that ring out with
the vibrant, powerful sounding orchestra brings a
song meant to evoke excitement and thrill within
all who listen. The second, more delicate piano
concerto, is also very moving and, like its
predecessor, brings out strong feelings of
exhilaration. Also, this piano concerto, just like
its counterpart, sends forth the feeling of a
touch of sadness, mingled with relaxing tones,
merging into a great work of music.

In 1842, Mendelssohn wrote incidental music for
the William Shakespeare|Shakespeare play, A
Midsummer Night's Dream, including the famous
Wedding March (Mendelssohn)|Wedding March that is
played as the recessional at many weddings.  The
first time it was used at a wedding was when
Dorothy Carew wed Tom Daniel at St Peter’s
Church, Tiverton, UK, on 2 June 1847. However it
did not become popular at weddings until it was
selected by Victoria, Princess Royal and Empress
Frederick|Victoria, The Princess Royal for her
marriage to the Crown Prince of Prussia on January
25, 1858.  The organ on which the Wedding March
(Mendelssohn)|Wedding March was composed is housed
in St Ann´s Church Tottenham.

==Media==
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==References==
# Kamien, Roger. Music : An Appreciation. 
Mcgraw-Hill College; 3rd edition (August 1, 1997)
ISBN 0070365210 
==See also==
*List of compositions by Felix Mendelssohn
*: