Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy **Born:** February 3, 1809, Hamburg, Germany **Died:** November 4, 1847, Leipzig, Germany (aged 38) **Era:** Early Romantic Period
**Key Details:**
1. **Family & Background:** * Grandson of renowned Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. * Born into a wealthy, cultured, and converted Protestant family (added "Bartholdy" to surname after baptism). * Sister Fanny Mendelssohn was also a highly talented composer and pianist.
2. **Child Prodigy:** * Displayed extraordinary musical talent from a very early age. * Began piano lessons with his mother at 6, composition with Carl Friedrich Zelter soon after. * Gave his first public concert at age 9. * Composed prolifically as a child/teenager, including symphonies, concertos, operas, and chamber music.
3. **Education & Influences:** * Received a broad humanist education (languages, literature, art, philosophy). * Deeply influenced by J.S. Bach, Handel, Mozart, and Beethoven. * Met Goethe several times as a boy, greatly impressing the poet.
4. **Major Contributions:** * **Revival of Bach:** His 1829 Berlin performance of Bach's *St. Matthew Passion* (at age 20) sparked a major revival of interest in Bach's music. * **Conductor & Performer:** A pioneering and influential conductor, raising performance standards. Also a renowned pianist and organist. * **Composer:** Prolific across genres: * **Orchestral:** 5 Symphonies (No. 3 "Scottish", No. 4 "Italian", No. 5 "Reformation"), *Hebrides Overture* ("Fingal's Cave"), *A Midsummer Night's Dream Overture* (written at 17). * **Concertos:** Violin Concerto in E minor (one of the most popular ever), Piano Concertos. * **Chamber Music:** String Quartets (Op. 44, Op. 80), Octet for Strings (written at 16), Piano Trios (No. 1 in D minor). * **Choral:** Oratorios *St. Paul* and *Elijah*, numerous sacred works (motets, psalms). * **Piano:** *Songs Without Words* (8 sets), Variations sérieuses. * **Incidental Music:** *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (including the famous "Wedding March"). * **Educator:** Played a key role in founding the Leipzig Conservatory (1843), one of Germany's first.
5. **Style:** * Blended Classical forms (learned from Bach, Mozart, Beethoven) with Romantic lyricism, expressiveness, and programmatic elements. * Known for clarity, elegance, formal balance, brilliant orchestration, and memorable melodies. * Often evokes nature, landscapes, and literary sources.
6. **Significant Roles:** * Music Director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig (1835-1847), transforming it into one of Europe's finest. * Held positions in Düsseldorf and Berlin.