Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy ( 1809-1847)

Biography- Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

The musical composer we are working on is Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Felix Mendelssohn was born on February 3, 1809, in Hamburg, Germany. Felix was born into a wealthy family with 4 kids (Felix, Fanny, Rebokah & Paul). Felix was a prodigy from childhood in piano, violin, painting and was gifted in many different languages. When Felix was 2 years old, he moved to Berlin with his parents and siblings. In Berlin, he began taking piano lessons with Ludwig Berger. Felix also studied composition under composer K.F. Zelter as a child. In 1816, he opened the gate and studied with a new person, pianist Marie Bigot during an long stay in Paris, France. He made his first public concert when he was 9 years old. Felix had composed for Shakespeare at 12 years old (Overture a Midsummer Dream). Another 2 of his most famous songs were The Spring Odet and The Wedding March. Some critics even say that Felix was the Mozart of the 18th century. Felix also admired Jenny Lind (an opera singer). Musical

In 1819, Felix Mendelssohn joined the Singakademie music academy and began composing non-stop. In 1820, he wrote a violin sonata, two piano sonatas, multiple songs, a cantata, a brief opera and a male quartet. Felix continued to compose frequently while working as a conductor. He wrote the Reformation Symphony in 1830, and after that an accomplishment with a three-year European tour. During that time, he published his first book of songs, entitled Songs without Words (1832). Italian Symphony (1833), another of Felix's best known works. In 1835, Felix was granted an illustrious role: conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig.

In 1836, a year after his father died, Felix met Cécile Jeanrenaud, a clergyman's daughter, in Frankfurt. He was 10 years Jeanrenaud's senior. She was just 16 when they got engaged. The couple married on March 28, 1837. Over the course of their marriage, they had five children.

In May 1847, Felix's sister, Fanny, who was a lifelong inspiration to him, died suddenly. Her death left him so devastated that he soon lost his own life. Six months later, on November 4, 1847, Felix Mendelssohn died of a ruptured blood vessel in Leipzig, Germany. He had recently returned from a brief visit to Switzerland, where he'd completed composition of his String Quartet in. Although he was only 38 when he died, Felix Mendelssohn managed to prove himself as one of the first significant Romantic composers of the 1800s.

First 5 seconds "Trumpet solo

" "Loyal

Special feeling for the day"

Next 5 seconds Orchestra plays along together representing marriage forever "peppy and royal feeling

Speed picks up"

Next 5 seconds trumpet and string instruments take over Feel very happy and joyful Speed continues to pick up

Next 5 seconds respond and answer with trumpet and string instruments "feels elegant and formal

which exemplifies this era" the speed slows down with more precise notes

SOME INTERESTING FACTS:

*He enjoyed visiting Great Britain and visited frequently. The British at the time also liked Mendelssohn very much.

*He was a good friend of Queen Victoria.

*Queen Victoria chose Mendelssohn’s ‘Wedding March’ for her daughter’s wedding. This is why the ‘Wedding March’ is so popular at weddings today!

*It is normally played when the bride and groom walk out of church.

*His sister, Fanny Mendelssohn, also composed music. In fact, some people think that some of ‘Mendelssohn’s’ music may have been written by her.

*He was one of the first people to use a baton when conducting. He was the one who brought the idea to Great Britain.

*He was a great fan of Bach. In fact, most people had forgotten about Bach after he died. Mendelssohn brought Bach’s music to everybody’s attention again. And people have liked it ever since!

Timing Instruments Emotion Description

First 5 seconds string instruments "light music

romantic" Very quiet, suddenly turns loud

Next 5 seconds string instruments soft and soothing becomes faster with harmonization

Next 5 seconds string instruments soft and soothing Becomes soft, loud, then soft again

Next 5 seconds string instruments Exciting goes really fast

Felix Mendelssohn

Out of all of Felix Mendelssohn- Bartholdy’s 482 works, we chose the piece called “Song without Words” to explain how his music is like the music in the Romantic period. This song had a lot of Felix Mendelssohn’s individual expression because in the first two minutes Felix Mendelssohn is playing a low pitch he is showing his sad expression. Sometimes throughout the song he played a little higher than right away he switches back into the low and sad playing on the piano. This is piece; “Song without Words” is formal music because Felix Mendelssohn had well planned the song by showing the low and sad theme. In my opinion I believe that his music is elegant because the song is fantastic to listen to. If you don’t believe that I am lying, listen to “Song without Words?”

Timing Instruments Emotion Description

First 5 seconds "flute

String instruments" thoughtful "stretchy

slow"

Next 5 seconds string instruments vivid very fast and short

Next 5 seconds more string instruments exciting full speed

Next 5 seconds more string instruments exciting full speed

Types of Works

Symphony- Symphony no.1 in C minor

Opera- Die Heimkehr aus der fremde

Vocal works- Adspice Domaine

Choral- Confitebor

By: Fizah, Aparna, Jayrhon, Vernon

Thank You

By: Fizah Patwa