Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,
Welcome at a new episode of our daily haiku meme Carpe Diem. This month I hope to inspire you with classical music from all ages and from all over the world. Let the Music Inspire You ... with a beautiful piece of music by Mendelssohn.
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| Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) |
Felix Mendelssohn
Bartholdy
Felix
Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 – 1847), was a German composer, pianist, organist
and conductor of the early Romantic period.A grandson
of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, Felix Mendelssohn was born into a
prominent Jewish family. He was brought up without religion until the age of
seven, when he was baptized as a Reformed Christian. Mendelssohn was recognized
early as a musical prodigy, but his parents were cautious and did not seek to capitalize
on his talent.
Mendelssohn enjoyed early success in Germany, where he also revived interest in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and in his travels throughout Europe. He was particularly well received in Britain as a composer, conductor and soloist, and his ten visits there – during which many of his major works were premiered – form an important part of his adult career. His essentially conservative musical tastes, however, set him apart from many of his more adventurous musical contemporaries such as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Charles-Valentin Alkan and Hector Berlioz. The Leipzig Conservatoire (now the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig), which he founded, became a bastion of this anti-radical outlook.
Mendelssohn wrote symphonies, concerti, oratorios, piano music and chamber music. His best-known works include his Overture and incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, the overture The Hebrides, his mature Violin Concerto, and his String Octet. His Songs Without Words are his most famous solo piano compositions. After a long period of relative denigration due to changing musical tastes and anti-Semitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his creative originality has now been recognized and re-evaluated. He is now among the most popular composers of the Romantic era.
Mendelssohn enjoyed early success in Germany, where he also revived interest in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and in his travels throughout Europe. He was particularly well received in Britain as a composer, conductor and soloist, and his ten visits there – during which many of his major works were premiered – form an important part of his adult career. His essentially conservative musical tastes, however, set him apart from many of his more adventurous musical contemporaries such as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Charles-Valentin Alkan and Hector Berlioz. The Leipzig Conservatoire (now the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig), which he founded, became a bastion of this anti-radical outlook.
Mendelssohn wrote symphonies, concerti, oratorios, piano music and chamber music. His best-known works include his Overture and incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, the overture The Hebrides, his mature Violin Concerto, and his String Octet. His Songs Without Words are his most famous solo piano compositions. After a long period of relative denigration due to changing musical tastes and anti-Semitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his creative originality has now been recognized and re-evaluated. He is now among the most popular composers of the Romantic era.
Again a composer whose legacy is awesome, but again he also died very young, as we have seen earlier this month. Must be the time in which they lived, but the most of the classical composers we have seen here now died very young.
I hope this music has inspired you. I couldn't come up with a haiku or tanka immediately, so maybe I will publish my response somewhat later.
This episode is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until December 10th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode, Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis, later on.
