Mendelssohn (-Bartholdy), (Jakob Ludwig) Felix

Mendelssohn (-Bartholdy), (Jakob Ludwig) Felix
born Feb. 3, 1809, Hamburg
died Nov. 4, 1847, Leipzig

German composer.

Grandson of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, he grew up in a wealthy Jewish family that had converted to Protestantism. He began to compose at age 11; at 16 he wrote his first masterpiece, the String Octet in E Flat Major (1825), followed by the Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream (1826). In 1829 he conducted the first performance in 100 years of Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion, greatly contributing to the Bach revival. He wrote the first of a series of elegant piano works, Songs Without Words, in 1830. His Reformation (1832) and Italian (1833) symphonies date from this period. He observed Classical models and practices while initiating key aspects of Romanticism, which exalted emotions and the imagination above rigid forms and traditions. After serving as music director of the Catholic city of Düsseldorf (1833–35), he took the parallel position in Protestant Leipzig. There he built up the Gewandhaus Orchestra, making Leipzig the musical capital of Germany. In his last decade he produced great works such as the Scottish Symphony (1842), the violin concerto (1844), and the oratorio Elijah (1846). His beloved sister, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805–47), had been considered his equal in musical talent as a girl, but she was discouraged from composing until her marriage to the painter Wilhelm Hensel (1794–1861); she eventually wrote more than 500 works. Her death was a severe shock to Mendelssohn; years of overwork simultaneously caught up with him, and he died six months after her.

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  • Mendelssohn (-Bartholdy), (Jakob Ludwig) Felix — (3 feb. 1809, Hamburgo–4 nov. 1847, Leipzig). Compositor alemán. Nieto del filósofo Moses Mendelssohn, se crió en una familia judía acomodada convertida al protestantismo. Comenzó a componer a la edad de 11 años y a los 16 escribió su primera… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Mendelssohn-Bartholdy — Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Gemälde von Eduard Magnus (1846) Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (* 3. Februar 1809 in Hamburg; † 4. November 1847 in Leipzig) war ein deutscher Komponist der Romantik. Er gilt unter anderem als entscheide …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy — noun German musician and romantic composer of orchestral and choral works (1809 1847) • Syn: ↑Mendelssohn, ↑Felix Mendelssohn • Instance Hypernyms: ↑composer …   Useful english dictionary

  • Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy — n. Felix Mendelssohn (1809 1847), German composer …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy — Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Gemälde von Eduard Magnus (1846) Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (* 3. Februar 1809 in Hamburg; † 4. November 1847 in Leipzig) war ein deutscher Komponist, Pianist und …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy — Nom de naissance Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Naissance 3 février 1809 Hambourg …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mendelssohn-Bartholdy — Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Nom de naissance Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Naissance 3 février 1809 Hambourg …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mendelssohn Bartholdy — Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Nom de naissance Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Naissance 3 février 1809 Hambourg …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Felix Mendelssohn. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mendelssohn Bartholdy — Mẹndelssohn Barthọldy,   Jakob Ludwig Felix, Komponist, * Hamburg 3. 2. 1809, ✝ Leipzig 4. 11. 1847, Enkel von M. Mendelssohn (sein Vater hatte den Familiennamen beim Übertritt zum Protestantismus in Mendelssohn Bartholdy geändert); war Schüler …   Universal-Lexikon

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