Biography of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)

03.02.1809
Born son to a rich family of bankers in Hamburg
1811
The family flees to Berlin. First music lessons from his mother.
1818
First public concert with his four years older sister Fanny
1821
Music lessons with Zelter (composition), Hummel (piano) and Rietz (violin). In the same year acquaintance of Carl Maria von Weber and playing to Goethe in Weimar as well as conversion to christianty
1824
Lessons from Moscheles during his stay in Berlin
1825
Journey with his father to Paris, where Cherubini came to like his compositions
1827
Premiere of the overture to a Midsumemrnights dream in Stettin and matriculation at the Berlin university
11.03.1829
Mendelssohn conducts the St. Matthews Passion of Johann Sebastian Bach. Later in the same year he starts a journey through Europe during which he meets Chopin and Berlioz in Paris.
1830
Journey to Italy and acquaintance with Berlioz´
1833
Call for music director in Düsseldorf
1835
Call for Leipzig Gewandhaus as first fulltime conductor, leading the orchestra while not playing an instrument. Friendship with Schumann and his later wife Clara Wieck.
19.11.1835
His father dies
22.05.1836
Premiere of Paulus at the music festival in Düsseldorf, in the same year honorary doctor of the University of Leipzig
28.03.1837
Marriage with Cécile Jenrenaud
1839
Mendelssohn is the first one to play Schuberts symphony with the Gewandhaus orchestra, the idea was given by Schumann
1841
Four years of sideline job for king Frederic the IV. in Berlin
31.03.1841
Premiere of Schumanns first symphony, which means his breakthrough
12.12.1842
His mother dies
03.04.1843
Opening of conservatory Leipzig, the first conservatory of Germany, of which Mendelssohn is co-founder and where Schumann gave lessons, too and honorary citizenship of Leipzig.
1843
Mendelssohn donates the first monument forBach in Leipzig
1844
Stays in Berlin during concert winter season. Gade was his substitute as a conductor in Leipzig.
14.05.1847
Death of his sister Fanny by stroke.
28.10.1847
Stroke followed by some days of conciouslessness
04.11.1847
Mendelssohn dies in Leipzig in presence of his dear friend Moscheles, due to a stroke, too and is burried beside her in Berlin.
Mendelssohn used his position as the conductor of the Gewandhaus orchestra to support other composers, like for example Berlioz by playing their works. At the same time he fighted for better paying of his musicians.
Statement of Schumanns regarding Mendelssohn: "He is the Mozart of the 19th century, the fairest musician, who pentrated the antagonisms of the time the best and reconciled them."
07.11.1847
Obsequies in Leipzig
08.11.1847
Sepulture in the Berlin family burial place
1892
Errection of a statue in front of Neues Gewandhaus in Leipzig

Sheet music for flute:

4 Lieder ohne Worte (Bearbeitung)
CD-Aufnahmen bei jpc.deMP3-Download bei amazon.de
(2 flutes, alto flute, bass flute (cello))
Zimmermann, ZM 34890
Rating: easy
  1. op. 19 Nr. 5 - Piano agitato
  2. op 19 Nr. 4 - Moderato
  3. Venezianisches Gondellied op. 30 Nr. 6 - Allegretto tranquillo
  4. Spinnerlied op. 67, Nr. 4 - Presto
Parts and score
Ein Sommernachtstraum - Scherzo (B-Dur) (Bearbeitung)
CD-Aufnahmen bei jpc.deMP3-Download bei amazon.de
(2 flutes)
, 96024
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Scherzo - Allegro vivace
Parts and score. I didn't like the arrangement very much.
Konzert 64bis (e-moll)
CD-Aufnahmen bei jpc.deMP3-Download bei amazon.de
(flute, piano orchestral excerpt)
International Music Company, No. 2851
Rating: difficult
  1. Allegro molto appassionato
  2. Andante
  3. Allegretto non troppo
Edition of the violin concerto by Rampal. Unfortunatly printed in very small notes.
Originally for violin.
Scherzo aus "Ein Sommernachtstraum" op. 61/1 (g-moll) (Bearbeitung)
CD-Aufnahmen bei jpc.deMP3-Download bei amazon.de
(4 flutes)
Bärenreiter, Ba 6882
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Allegro vivace

CDs with/from Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

Mario Caroli, Keiko Nakayama
Canti senza parole (2010)
jpc
Stradivarius
  1. Giulio Caccin: Amarilli (02:46:00)
  2. Claude Debussy: Syrinx (02:55:00)
  3. Ferrucio Busoni: Albumblatt (02:16:00)
  4. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Lieder ohne Worte op. 30 (07:28:00)
  5. György Kurtág: Doloroso (02:06:00)
  6. Arthur Honegger: Romance (02:33:00)
  7. Marin Marais: Les Folies d`Espagne  (16:53:00)
  8. Jacques Desbrière: Cinq pièces étranges (13:00:00)
  9. Magnús Blöndal Jóhansson: Solitude (12:15:00)
  10. Erland von Koch: Cantilena (02:55:00)
  11. Gabriel Fauré: Pièce (03:03:00)
Felix Renggli, Jan Schultsz
Romantic Flute Sonatas (1996)
Discover
    Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Sonata in f-moll, Op. 4:
  1. Adagio/Moderato (07:55:00)
  2. Poco Adagio (06:24:00)
  3. Allegro agitato (04:51:00)
  4. Robert Schumann: Abendlied, Op. 85, No. 12 (02:31:00)
    5. Robert Schumann: Romances Op. 94:
  5. Nicht schnell (03:31:00)
  6. Einfach, innig (03:49:00)
  7. Nicht schnell (04:29:00)
    8. Robert Schumann: Sonata in a-moll, Op. 105:
  8. Mit leidenschaftlichem Ausdruck (07:57:00)
  9. Allegretto (03:50:00)
  10. Lebhaft (05:11:00)
    11. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Sonate in F-Dur (1820):
  11. Allegro (04:29:00)
  12. Andante (05:32:00)
  13. Presto (00:00:02)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Myung-Whun Chung , James Galway, Charles Gerhardt, Phillip Moll, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Marisa Robles, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Magic Flute of James Galway (1992)
RCA
  1. Georg Friedrich Händel: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (02:49:00)
  2. Sergei Wassiljewitsch Rachmaninow: Vocalise op. 34, No. 14 (04:15:00)
  3. Claude Debussy: Le petit nègre (01:46:00)
  4. Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata No. 4 - Allegro (01:57:00)
  5. Franz Schubert: Serenade - Ständchen D.957 (03:53:00)
  6. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Scherzo aus "Ein Sommernachtstraum" (04:16:00)
  7. Robert Schumann: Träumerei (03:22:00)
  8. Aram Khatchaturian: Masquerade - Waltz (03:36:00)
  9. François-Joseph Gossec: Tambourin (01:22:00)
  10. Frederick Chopin: Variations on a Theme by Rossini (04:57:00)
  11. Alexander von Kreisler: Schön Rosmarin (01:48:00)
  12. Claude Debussy: Le petit berger (02:27:00)
  13. Antonin Dvořák: Humoresque (03:27:00)
  14. Giulio Briccialdi: Carnival of Venice (06:33:00)
Trio Cantabile
Trio Cantabile - Mendelssohn Ries Bruch Farrenc (1989)
jpc
Thorofon
    Ferdinand Ries: Trio Es-Dur op. 63:
  1. Allegro (04:08:00)
  2. andantino attace Rondo Allegro (03:58:00)
    3. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: "Andante et Rondo" aus Trio d-moll op. 49:
  3. Andante (06:21:00)
  4. Rondo (00:00:03)
    5. Max Bruch: Drei Stücke aus op. 83:
  5. Andante (03:42:00)
  6. Allegro con moto (02:30:00)
  7. Nachtgesang. Andante con moto (05:22:00)
    8. Louise Farrenc: Trio e-moll op. 45:
  8. Allegro deciso (10:15:00)
  9. Andante (04:56:00)
  10. Scherzo, Vivace (04:51:00)
  11. Finale, Presto (05:04:00)

Literature von/über Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

Last edit 13.09.2014