Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn German musician and composer Also known as: Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Written by Fact-checked by Last Updated: Dec 15, 2023 • Article History Felix Mendelssohn Felix Mendelssohn See all media Category: Arts & Culture In full: Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Born: February 3, 1809, Hamburg [Germany] Died: November 4, 1847, Leipzig (aged 38) Notable Works: opera “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” “Briefe über die Empfindungen” “Elijah, Op. 70” “Hymn of Praise” “Italian Symphony” “Octet for Strings in E-Flat Major, Op. 20” “Scottish Symphony” “Songs Without Words” “St. Paul” “String Octet in E Flat Major” “The Hebrides, Op. 26” “Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64” Movement / Style: Romanticism Notable Family Members: sister Fanny Mendelssohn On the Web: Southern Illinois University - College of Liberal Arts - Language, Culture, and International Studies - Biography of Felix Mendelssohn (Dec. 15, 2023) Felix Mendelssohn (born February 3, 1809, Hamburg [Germany]—died November 4, 1847, Leipzig) German composer, pianist, musical conductor, and teacher, one of the most-celebrated figures of the early Romantic period. In his music Mendelssohn largely observed Classical models and practices while initiating key aspects of Romanticism—the artistic movement that exalted feeling and the imagination above rigid forms and traditions. Among his most famous works are Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1826), Italian Symphony (1833), a violin concerto (1844), two piano concerti (1831, 1837), the oratorio Elijah (1846), and several pieces of chamber music. He was a grandson of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. Early life and works Felix was born of Jewish parents, Abraham and Lea Salomon Mendelssohn, from whom he took his first piano lessons. Though the Mendelssohn family was proud of their ancestry, they considered it desirable in accordance with 19th-century liberal ideas to mark their emancipation from the ghetto by adopting the Christian faith. Accordingly, Felix, together with his brother and two sisters, was baptized in 1816 as a Lutheran. In 1822, when his parents were also baptized, the entire family adopted the surname Bartholdy, following the example of Felix’s maternal uncle, who had chosen to adopt the name of a family farm. In 1811, during the French occupation of Hamburg, the family had moved to Berlin, where Mendelssohn studied the piano with Ludwig Berger and composition with Carl Friedrich Zelter, who, as a composer and teacher, exerted an enormous influence on his development. Other teachers gave the Mendelssohn children lessons in literature and landscape painting, with the result that at an early age Mendelssohn’s mind was widely cultivated. His personality was nourished by a broad knowledge of the arts and was also stimulated by learning and scholarship. He traveled with his sister to Paris, where he took further piano lessons and where he appears to have become acquainted with the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mendelssohn was an extemely precocious musical composer. He wrote numerous compositions during his boyhood, among them 5 operas, 11 symphonies for string orchestra, concerti, sonatas, and fugues. Most of these works were long preserved in manuscript in the Prussian State Library in Berlin but are believed to have been lost in World War II. He made his first public appearance in 1818—at age nine—in Berlin. Illustration of musical notes. classical music composer composition. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, history and society, music notes Britannica Quiz Composers & Their Music In 1821 Mendelssohn was taken to Weimar to meet J.W. von Goethe, for whom he played works of J.S. Bach and Mozart and to whom he dedicated his Piano Quartet No. 3. in B Minor (1825). A remarkable friendship developed between the aging poet and the 12-year-old musician. In Paris in 1825 Luigi Cherubini discerned Mendelssohn’s outstanding gifts. The next year he reached his full stature as a composer with the Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The atmospheric effects and the fresh lyrical melodies in this work revealed the mind of an original composer, while the animated orchestration looked forward to the orchestral manner of Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov. Felix Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words Felix Mendelssohn German Romantic composer, pianist and conductor Felix Mendelssohn wrote the Overture to a 'Midsummer Night's Dream' and founded the Leipzig Conservatory of Music. UPDATED: MAY 7, 2021 Felix Mendelssohnpinterest Photo: DEA PICTURE LIBRARY/De Agostini via Getty Images (1809-1847) Who Was Felix Mendelssohn? German composer Felix Mendelssohn made his public debut in Berlin at just 9 years old. In 1819, he joined the Singakademie music academy and began composing non-stop. At Singakademie, he also became a conductor, but continued to compose prolifically. Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatory of Music in 1843. Childhood Pianist, composer and conductor Felix Mendelssohn was born Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy in Hamburg, Germany, on February 3, 1809. His parents were Jewish, but converted to Christianity before he, his brother and two sisters were born. When Mendelssohn was 2 years old, he moved to Berlin with his parents and siblings. In Berlin, the young Mendelssohn began taking piano lessons with Ludwig Berger. Mendelssohn also studied composition under composer K.F. Zelter as a child. In 1816, he broadened his lessons, studying under pianist Marie Bigot during an extended stay in Paris, France. Mendelssohn was quick to establish himself as a musical prodigy. During his childhood, he composed a handful of operas and 11 symphonies. At just 9 years old, he made his public debut in Berlin. Early Work In 1819, Mendelssohn joined the Singakademie music academy and began composing non-stop. In 1820 alone, he wrote a violin sonata, two piano sonatas, multiple songs, a cantata, a brief opera and a male quartet. In 1826, Mendelssohn produced one of his best known works, Overture to a Midsummer Night's Dream. He presented his opera The Marriage of the Camacho, the following year in Berlin. It was the only opera of his performed in public during his life. At Singakademie, Mendelssohn also became a conductor. In 1829, he conducted a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. The performance's success led to other great opportunities, including a chance to conduct the London Philharmonic Society that same year. Inspired by his visit to England and Scotland, Mendelssohn began composing his Symphony No. 3; it took more than a decade to complete. Known as his Scottish Symphony, the work commemorated his visit to Holyrood Chapel in Edinburgh and the highlands. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Mendelssohn continued to compose prolifically while working as a conductor. He wrote the Reformation Symphony in 1830, and followed that 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 Mendelssohn's best known works, was also born of this period. In 1835, Mendelssohn was granted an illustrious role: conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. Personal Life In 1836, a year after his father died, Mendelssohn met Cécile Jeanrenaud, a clergyman's daughter, in Frankfurt. Mendelssohn 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. Later Work The same year that he married, Mendelssohn composed his Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor. From 1838 to 1844, he toiled away on his Violin Concerto in E Minor. Prior to the piece's completion, Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatory of Music and became its director. In so doing, he put Leipzig on the map as the musical center of Germany. After finishing Violin Concerto in E Minor, Mendelssohn conducted a string of concerts for the Philharmonic. In 1846 he presented his newly written Elijah at the Birmingham Festival. Final Years and Death In May 1847, Mendelssohn's sister, Fanny, who was a lifelong inspiration to him, died suddenly. Her death left him so devastated that he soon lost his own zest for life. His health, already compromised by his strenuous career, began to deteriorate rapidly. 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 F Minor. Although he was only 38 when he died, Mendelssohn managed to distinguish himself as one of the first significant Romantic composers of the 1800s. QUICK FACTS Name: Felix Mendelssohn Birth Year: 1809 Birth date: February 3, 1809 Birth City: Hamburg Birth Country: Germany Gender: Male Best Known For: German Romantic composer, pianist and conductor Felix Mendelssohn wrote the Overture to a 'Midsummer Night's Dream' and founded the Leipzig Conservatory of Music. Industries Classical Astrological Sign: Aquarius Schools Singakademie Nacionalities German Death Year: 1847 Death date: November 4, 1847 Death City: Leipzig Death Country: Germany Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! CITATION INFORMATION Article Title: Felix Mendelssohn Biography Author: Biography.com Editors Website Name: The Biography.com website Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/felix-mendelssohn Access Date: Publisher: A&E; Television Networks Last Updated: May 7, 2021 Original Published Date: April 2, 2014 QUOTES People often complain that music is too ambiguous, that what they should think when they hear it is so unclear, whereas everyone understands words. With me, it is exactly the opposite, and not only with regard to an entire speech but also with individual words. Though everything else may appear shallow and repulsive, even the smallest task in music is so absorbing, and carries us so far away from town, country, earth, and all worldly things, that it is truly a blessed gift of God. Ever since I began to compose, I have remained true to my starting principle: not to write a page because no matter what public, or what pretty girl wanted it to be thus or thus; but to write solely as I myself thought best, and as it gave me pleasure. “Spinnerlied” (“Spinning Song”), Op. 67, No. 34, in C major, one of Felix Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Worte (Songs Without Words). Mendelssohn also became active as a conductor. On March 11, 1829, at the Singakademie, Berlin, he conducted the first performance since Bach’s death of the St. Matthew Passion, thus inaugurating the Bach revival of the 19th century. Meanwhile he had visited Switzerland and had met Carl Maria von Weber, whose opera Der Freischütz, given in Berlin in 1821, encouraged him to develop a national character in music. Mendelssohn’s great work of this period was the String Octet in E Flat Major (1825), displaying not only technical mastery and an almost unprecedented lightness of touch but great melodic and rhythmic originality. Mendelssohn developed in this work the genre of the swift-moving scherzo (a playful musical movement) that he would also use in the incidental music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1843). Are you a student? Get Britannica Premium for only $24.95 - a 67% discount! In the spring of 1829 Mendelssohn made his first journey to England, conducting his Symphony No. 1 in C Minor (1824) at the London Philharmonic Society. In the summer he went to Scotland, of which he gave many poetic accounts in his evocative letters. He went there “with a rake for folksongs, an ear for the lovely, fragrant countryside, and a heart for the bare legs of the natives.” At Abbotsford he met Sir Walter Scott. The literary, pictorial, and musical elements of Mendelssohn’s imagination are often merged. Describing, in a letter written from the Hebrides, the manner in which the waves break on the Scottish coast, he noted down, in the form of a musical symbol, the opening bars of The Hebrides (1830–32). Between 1830 and 1832 he traveled in Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland and in 1832 returned to London, where he conducted The Hebrides and where he published the first book of the piano music he called Lieder ohne Worte (Songs Without Words), completed in Venice in 1830. Mendelssohn, whose music in its day was held to be remarkable for its charm and elegance, was gradually becoming the most popular of 19th-century composers in England. His main reputation was made in England, which, in the course of his short life, he visited no fewer than 10 times. At the time of these visits, the character of his music was held to be predominantly Victorian, and indeed he eventually became the favourite composer of Queen Victoria herself. Mendelssohn’s subtly ironic account of his meeting with the queen and the prince consort at Buckingham Palace in 1843, to both of whom he was affectionately drawn, shows him also to have been alive to both the pomp and the sham of the royal establishment. His Symphony No. 3 in A Minor–Major, or Scottish Symphony, as it is called, was dedicated to Queen Victoria. And he became endeared to the English musical public in other ways. The fashion for playing the “Wedding March” from his A Midsummer Night’s Dream at bridal processions originates from a performance of this piece at the wedding of the Princess Royal after Mendelssohn’s death, in 1858. In the meantime he had given the first performances in London of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Emperor and G Major concerti. He was among the first to play a concerto from memory in public—Mendelssohn’s memory was prodigious—and he also became known for his organ works. Later the popularity of his oratorio Elijah, first produced at Birmingham in 1846, established Mendelssohn as a composer whose influence on English music equaled that of George Frideric Handel. After his death this influence was sometimes held to have had a stifling effect. Later generations of English composers, enamoured of Richard Wagner, Claude Debussy, or Igor Stravinsky, revolted against the domination of Mendelssohn and condemned the sentimentality of his lesser works. But there is no doubt that he had, nevertheless, succeeded in arousing the native musical genius, at first by his performances and later in the creative sphere, from a dormant state. A number of new experiences marked the grand tour that Mendelssohn had undertaken after his first London visit. Lively details of this tour are found in his long series of letters. On Goethe’s recommendation he had read Laurence Sterne’s Sentimental Journey, and, inspired by this work, he recorded his impressions with great verve. In Venice he was enchanted by the paintings of Titian and Giorgione. The papal singers in Rome, however, were “almost all unmusical,” and Gregorian music he found unintelligible. In Rome he describes a “haggard” colony of German artists “with terrific beards.” Later, at Leipzig, where Hector Berlioz and Mendelssohn exchanged batons, Berlioz offered an enormous cudgel of lime tree covered with bark, whereas Mendelssohn playfully presented his brazen contemporary with a delicate light stick of whalebone elegantly encased in leather. The contrast between these two batons precisely reflects the violently conflicting characters of the two composers. In 1833 Mendelssohn was in London again to conduct his Italian Symphony (Symphony No. 4 in A Major–Minor), and in the same year he became music director of Düsseldorf, where he introduced into the church services the masses of Beethoven and Cherubini and the cantatas of Bach. At Düsseldorf, too, he began his first oratorio, St. Paul. In 1835 he became conductor of the celebrated Gewandhaus Orchestra at Leipzig, where he not only raised the standard of orchestral playing but made Leipzig the musical capital of Germany. Frédéric Chopin and Robert Schumann were among his friends at Leipzig, where, at his first concert with the Gewandhaus Orchestra, he conducted his overture Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt (1828–32; Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage). Marriage and maturity of Felix Mendelssohn Felix Mendelssohn Felix Mendelssohn In 1835 Mendelssohn was overcome by the death of his father, Abraham, whose dearest wish had been that his son should complete the St. Paul. He accordingly plunged into this work with renewed determination and the following year conducted it at Düsseldorf. The same year at Frankfurt he met Cécile Jeanrenaud, the daughter of a French Protestant clergyman. Though she was 10 years younger than himself, that is to say, no more than 16, they became engaged and were married on March 28, 1837. His sister Fanny, the member of his family who remained closest to him, wrote of her sister-in-law: “She is amiable, childlike, fresh, bright and even-tempered, and I consider Felix most fortunate for, though inexpressibly fond of him, she does not spoil him, but when he is capricious, treats him with an equanimity which will in course of time most probably cure his fits of irritability altogether.” This was magnanimous praise on the part of Fanny, to whom Mendelssohn was drawn by musical as well as emotional ties. Fanny was not only a composer in her own right—she had herself written some of the Songs Without Words attributed to her brother—but she seems to have exercised, by her sisterly companionship, a powerful influence on the development of his inner musical nature. Works written over the following years include the Variations sérieuses (1841), for piano, the Lobgesang (1840; Hymn of Praise), Psalm CXIV, the Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor (1837), and chamber works. In 1838 Mendelssohn began the Violin Concerto in E Minor–Major. Though he normally worked rapidly, throwing off works with the same facility as one writes a letter, this final expression of his lyrical genius compelled his arduous attention over the next six years. In the 20th century the Violin Concerto was still admired for its warmth of melody and for its vivacity, and it was also the work of Mendelssohn’s that, for nostalgic listeners, enshrined the elegant musical language of the 19th century. Nor was its popularity diminished by the later, more turgid, and often more dramatic violin concerti of Johannes Brahms, Béla Bartók, and Alban Berg. It is true that many of Mendelssohn’s works are cameos, delightful portraits or descriptive pieces, held to lack the characteristic Romantic depth. But occasionally, as in the Violin Concerto and certain of the chamber works, these predominantly lyrical qualities, so charming, naive, and fresh, themselves end by conveying a sense of the deeper Romantic wonder. In 1843 Mendelssohn founded at Leipzig the conservatory of music where, together with Schumann, he taught composition. Visits to London and Birmingham followed, entailing an increasing number of engagements. These would hardly have affected his normal health; he had always lived on this feverish level. But at Frankfurt in May 1847 he was greatly saddened by the death of Fanny. It is at any rate likely that for a person of Mendelssohn’s sensibility, living at such intensity, the death of this close relative, to whom he was so completely bound, would undermine his whole being. In fact, after the death of his sister, his energies deserted him, and, following the rupture of a blood vessel, he soon died. Legacy Though the music of Mendelssohn, stylish and elegant, does not fill the entire musical scene, as it was inclined to do in Victorian times, it has elements that unite this versatile 19th-century composer to the principal artistic figures of his time. In the Midsummer Night’s Dream music, with its hilarious grunting of an ass on the bassoon and the evocative effect of Oberon’s horn, Mendelssohn becomes a partner in Shakespeare’s fairyland kingdom. The blurred impressionist effects in The Hebrides foreshadow the later developments of the painter J.M.W. Turner. Wagner understood Mendelssohn’s inventive powers as an orchestrator, as is shown in his own opera The Flying Dutchman, and, later, the French composers of the 20th century learned much from his grace and perfection of style. The appeal of Mendelssohn’s work has not dwindled in the 21st century. It is true that Elijah is not so frequently performed as it once was and some of his fluent piano works are now overshadowed by the more-enduring works of Beethoven and Schumann. But the great pictorial works of Mendelssohn, the Scottish and Italian symphonies, repeatedly yield new vistas, and the Songs Without Words retain their graceful beauty. Mendelssohn was one of the first of the great 19th-century Romantic composers, and in this sense he remains even today a figure to be rediscovered. Edward Lockspeiser The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Fanny Mendelssohn Table of Contents Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics Images Mendelssohn, Fanny Read Next the Beatles. Publicity still from Help! (1965) directed by Richard Lester starring The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) a British musical quartet. film rock music movie What's the Difference Between Tempo and Rhythm? 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Home Entertainment & Pop Culture Music, Classical Arts & Culture Fanny Mendelssohn German musician and composer Also known as: Fanny Cäcilie Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Fanny Hensel Written and fact-checked by Last Updated: Dec 22, 2023 • Article History Mendelssohn, Fanny Mendelssohn, Fanny See all media Category: Arts & Culture In full: Fanny (Cäcilie) Mendelssohn (-Bartholdy) Married name: Fanny Hensel Born: November 14, 1805, Hamburg [Germany] Died: May 14, 1847, Berlin, Prussia (aged 41) On the Web: Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel finally moves out of her brother’s shadow (Dec. 22, 2023) Fanny Mendelssohn (born November 14, 1805, Hamburg [Germany]—died May 14, 1847, Berlin, Prussia) German pianist and composer, the eldest sister and confidante of the composer Felix Mendelssohn. Fanny is said to have been as talented musically as her brother, and the two children were given the same music teachers. Felix readily admitted that his sister played the piano better than he did, and Fanny remained his chief musical adviser until he left home. She is said to have memorized J.S. Bach’s complete Well-Tempered Clavier by age 13. Fanny married the Prussian court painter Wilhelm Hensel in 1829. She traveled in Italy with her husband in 1839–40. Upon her mother’s death in 1842 she took over the direction of the Mendelssohn family home in Berlin, in which role she organized local concerts and occasionally appeared as a pianist. Fanny remained very close to her brother, and her death in May 1847 greatly contributed to Felix’s own demise six months later. Fanny wrote about 500 musical compositions in all, including about 120 pieces for piano, many lieder (art songs), and chamber music, cantatas, and oratorios. Six of her songs were published under Felix’s name in his two sets of Twelve Songs (Opuses 8 and 9), while the few works published under her own name include several collections of short piano pieces, some lieder, and a piano trio. Most of her remaining works exist only in manuscript. Stylistically her music is similar to that of her brother. Fanny’s son Sebastian wrote a biography of the Mendelssohn family based partly on Fanny’s diaries and letters, which provide a great deal of information about her brother Felix. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen. Johann Sebastian Bach Table of Contents Introduction & Top Questions Life Reputation and influence References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics Images & Videos Johann Sebastian BachBach, Johann SebastianBach, Johann Sebastian For Students Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach summary Quizzes Illustration of musical notes. classical music composer composition. 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Skeleton of an Aurochs, an extinct wild ox. 6 Animals We Ate Into Extinction ribeye steak, beef, cow, meat How Oprah Got Sued for Dissing a Burger Home Entertainment & Pop Culture Music, Classical Arts & Culture Johann Sebastian Bach German composer Written by , See All Fact-checked by Last Updated: Dec 4, 2023 • Article History Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach See all media Category: Arts & Culture Born: March 21 [March 31, New Style], 1685, Eisenach, Thuringia, Ernestine Saxon Duchies [Germany] Died: July 28, 1750, Leipzig (aged 65) Notable Works: sinfonia “Brandenburg Concertos” “Christmas Oratorio” “Fugue in E-flat Major” “God Is My King” “Hunt Cantata” “Jesu meine Freude” “Mass in B Minor” “Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor” “St. John Passion” “St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244” “Three-Part Inventions” Movement / Style: Baroque music Notable Family Members: son Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach son Wilhelm Friedemann Bach son Johann Christian Bach son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Top Questions Why is Johann Sebastian Bach important? What did Johann Sebastian Bach compose? What was Johann Sebastian Bach’s childhood like? When did Johann Sebastian Bach get married? What were Johann Sebastian Bach’s children’s names? Johann Sebastian Bach (born March 21 [March 31, New Style], 1685, Eisenach, Thuringia, Ernestine Saxon Duchies [Germany]—died July 28, 1750, Leipzig) composer of the Baroque era, the most celebrated member of a large family of north German musicians. Although he was admired by his contemporaries primarily as an outstanding harpsichordist, organist, and expert on organ building, Bach is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time and is celebrated as the creator of the Brandenburg Concertos, The Well-Tempered Clavier, the Mass in B Minor, and numerous other masterpieces of church and instrumental music. Appearing at a propitious moment in the history of music, Bach was able to survey and bring together the principal styles, forms, and national traditions that had developed during preceding generations and, by virtue of his synthesis, enrich them all. He was a member of a remarkable family of musicians who were proud of their achievements, and about 1735 he drafted a genealogy, Ursprung der musicalisch-Bachischen Familie (“Origin of the Musical Bach Family”), in which he traced his ancestry back to his great-great-grandfather Veit Bach, a Lutheran baker (or miller) who late in the 16th century was driven from Hungary to Wechmar in Thuringia, a historic region of Germany, by religious persecution and died in 1619. There were Bachs in the area before then, and it may be that, when Veit moved to Wechmar, he was returning to his birthplace. He used to take his cittern to the mill and play it while the mill was grinding. Johann Sebastian remarked, “A pretty noise they must have made together! However, he learnt to keep time, and this apparently was the beginning of music in our family.” Until the birth of Johann Sebastian, his was the least distinguished branch of the family; some of its members, such as Johann Christoph and Johann Ludwig, had been competent practical musicians but not composers. In later days the most important musicians in the family were Johann Sebastian’s sons—Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel, and Johann Christian (the “English Bach”). Life Early years J.S. Bach was the youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bach and Elisabeth Lämmerhirt. Ambrosius was a string player, employed by the town council and the ducal court of Eisenach. Johann Sebastian started school in 1692 or 1693 and did well in spite of frequent absences. Of his musical education at this time, nothing definite is known; however, he may have picked up the rudiments of string playing from his father, and no doubt he attended the Georgenkirche, where Johann Christoph Bach was organist until 1703. "Self-Portrait with Straw Hat (verso: The Potato Peeler)," oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1887. In the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 40.6 x 31.8 cm. Britannica Quiz Almost-Forgotten Artists Quiz By 1695 both his parents were dead, and he was looked after by his eldest brother, also named Johann Christoph (1671–1721), organist at Ohrdruf. This Christoph had been a pupil of the influential keyboard composer Johann Pachelbel, and he apparently gave Johann Sebastian his first formal keyboard lessons. The young Bach again did well at school, and in 1700 his voice secured him a place in a select choir of poor boys at the school at Michaelskirche, Lüneburg. His voice must have broken soon after this, but he remained at Lüneburg for a time, making himself generally useful. No doubt he studied in the school library, which had a large and up-to-date collection of church music; he probably heard Georg Böhm, organist of the Johanniskirche; and he visited Hamburg to hear the renowned organist and composer Johann Adam Reinken at the Katharinenkirche, contriving also to hear the French orchestra maintained by the duke of Celle. Are you a student? Get Britannica Premium for only $24.95 - a 67% discount! He seems to have returned to Thuringia in the late summer of 1702. By this time he was already a reasonably proficient organist. His experience at Lüneburg, if not at Ohrdruf, had turned him away from the secular string-playing tradition of his immediate ancestors; thenceforth he was chiefly, though not exclusively, a composer and performer of keyboard and sacred music. The next few months are wrapped in mystery, but by March 4, 1703, he was a member of the orchestra employed by Johann Ernst, duke of Weimar (and brother of Wilhelm Ernst, whose service Bach entered in 1708). This post was a mere stopgap; he probably already had his eye on the organ then being built at the Neue Kirche (New Church) in Arnstadt, for, when it was finished, he helped to test it, and in August 1703 he was appointed organist—all this at age 18. Arnstadt documents imply that he had been court organist at Weimar; this is incredible, though it is likely enough that he had occasionally played there. The Arnstadt period At Arnstadt, on the northern edge of the Thuringian Forest, where he remained until 1707, Bach devoted himself to keyboard music, the organ in particular. While at Lüneburg he had apparently had no opportunity of becoming directly acquainted with the spectacular, flamboyant playing and compositions of Dietrich Buxtehude, the most significant exponent of the north German school of organ music. In October 1705 he repaired this gap in his knowledge by obtaining a month’s leave and walking to Lübeck (more than 200 miles [300 km]). His visit must have been profitable, for he did not return until about the middle of January 1706. In February his employers complained about his absence and about other things as well: he had harmonized the hymn tunes so freely that the congregation could not sing to his accompaniment, and, above all, he had produced no cantatas. Perhaps the real reasons for his neglect were that he was temporarily obsessed with the organ and was on bad terms with the local singers and instrumentalists, who were not under his control and did not come up to his standards. In the summer of 1705 he had made some offensive remark about a bassoon player, which led to an unseemly scuffle in the street. His replies to these complaints were neither satisfactory nor even accommodating; and the fact that he was not dismissed out of hand suggests that his employers were as well aware of his exceptional ability as he was himself and were reluctant to lose him. During these early years, Bach inherited the musical culture of the Thuringian area, a thorough familiarity with the traditional forms and hymns (chorales) of the orthodox Lutheran service, and, in keyboard music, perhaps (through his brother, Johann Christoph) a bias toward the formalistic styles of the south. But he also learned eagerly from the northern rhapsodists, Buxtehude above all. By 1708 he had probably learned all that his German predecessors could teach him and arrived at a first synthesis of northern and southern German styles. He had also studied, on his own and during his presumed excursions to Celle, some French organ and instrumental music. Among the few works that can be ascribed to these early years with anything more than a show of plausibility are the Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo (1704; Capriccio on the Departure of His Most Beloved Brother, BWV 992), the chorale prelude on Wie schön leuchtet (c. 1705; How Brightly Shines, BWV 739), and the fragmentary early version of the organ Prelude and Fugue in G Minor (before 1707, BWV 535a). (The “BWV” numbers provided are the standard catalog numbers of Bach’s works as established in the Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, prepared by the German musicologist Wolfgang Schmieder.) The Mühlhausen period In June 1707 Bach obtained a post at the Blasiuskirche in Mühlhausen in Thuringia. He moved there soon after and married his cousin Maria Barbara Bach at Dornheim on October 17. At Mühlhausen things seem, for a time, to have gone more smoothly. He produced several church cantatas at this time; all of these works are cast in a conservative mold, based on biblical and chorale texts and displaying no influence of the “modern” Italian operatic forms that were to appear in Bach’s later cantatas. The famous organ Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (BWV 565), written in the rhapsodic northern style, and the Prelude and Fugue in D Major (BWV 532) may also have been composed during the Mühlhausen period, as well as the organ Passacaglia in C Minor (BWV 582), an early example of Bach’s instinct for large-scale organization. Cantata No. 71, Gott ist mein König (God Is My King), of February 4, 1708, was printed at the expense of the city council and was the first of Bach’s compositions to be published. While at Mühlhausen, Bach copied music to enlarge the choir library, tried to encourage music in the surrounding villages, and was in sufficient favour to be able to interest his employers in a scheme for rebuilding the organ (February 1708). His real reason for resigning on June 25, 1708, is not known. He himself said that his plans for a “well-regulated [concerted] church music” had been hindered by conditions in Mühlhausen and that his salary was inadequate. It is generally supposed that he had become involved in a theological controversy between his own pastor Frohne and Archdeacon Eilmar of the Marienkirche. Certainly, he was friendly with Eilmar, who provided him with librettos and became godfather to Bach’s first child; and it is likely enough that he was not in sympathy with Frohne, who, as a Pietist, would have frowned on elaborate church music. It is just as possible, however, that it was the dismal state of musical life in Mühlhausen that prompted Bach to seek employment elsewhere. At all events, his resignation was accepted, and shortly afterward he moved to Weimar, some miles west of Jena on the Ilm River. He continued nevertheless to be on good terms with Mühlhausen personalities, for he supervised the rebuilding of the organ, is supposed to have inaugurated it on October 31, 1709, and composed a cantata for February 4, 1709, which was printed but has disappeared. The Weimar period Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Sebastian Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach was, from the outset, court organist at Weimar and a member of the orchestra. Encouraged by Wilhelm Ernst, he concentrated on the organ during the first few years of his tenure. From Weimar, Bach occasionally visited Weissenfels; in February 1713 he took part in a court celebration there that included a performance of his first secular cantata, Was mir behagt, also called the Hunt Cantata (BWV 208). Late in 1713 Bach had the opportunity of succeeding Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow at the Liebfrauenkirche, Halle; but the duke raised his salary, and he stayed on at Weimar. On March 2, 1714, he became concertmaster, with the duty of composing a cantata every month. He became friendly with a relative, Johann Gottfried Walther, a music lexicographer and composer who was organist of the town church, and, like Walther, Bach took part in the musical activities at the Gelbes Schloss (“Yellow Castle”), then occupied by Duke Wilhelm’s two nephews, Ernst August and Johann Ernst, both of whom he taught. The latter was a talented composer who wrote concerti in the Italian manner, some of which Bach arranged for keyboard instruments; the boy died in 1715, in his 19th year. Unfortunately, Bach’s development cannot be traced in detail during the vital years 1708–14, when his style underwent a profound change. There are too few datable works. From the series of cantatas written in 1714–16, however, it is obvious that he had been decisively influenced by the new styles and forms of the contemporary Italian opera and by the innovations of such Italian concerto composers as Antonio Vivaldi. The results of this encounter can be seen in such cantatas as No. 182, 199, and 61 in 1714, 31 and 161 in 1715, and 70 and 147 in 1716. His favourite forms appropriated from the Italians were those based on refrain (ritornello) or da capo schemes in which wholesale repetition—literal or with modifications—of entire sections of a piece permitted him to create coherent musical forms with much larger dimensions than had hitherto been possible. These newly acquired techniques henceforth governed a host of Bach’s arias and concerto movements, as well as many of his larger fugues (especially the mature ones for organ), and profoundly affected his treatment of chorales. Among other works almost certainly composed at Weimar are most of the Orgelbüchlein (Little Organ Book), all but the last of the so-called 18 “Great” chorale preludes, the earliest organ trios, and most of the organ preludes and fugues. The “Great” Prelude and Fugue in G Major for organ (BWV 541) was finally revised about 1715, and the Toccata and Fugue in F Major (BWV 540) may have been played at Weissenfels. On December 1, 1716, Johann Samuel Drese, musical director at Weimar, died. He was then succeeded by his son, who was rather a nonentity. Bach presumably resented being thus passed over, and in due course he accepted an appointment as musical director to Prince Leopold of Köthen, which was confirmed in August 1717. Duke Wilhelm, however, refused to accept his resignation—partly, perhaps, because of Bach’s friendship with the duke’s nephews, with whom the duke was on the worst of terms. About September a contest between Bach and the famous French organist Louis Marchand was arranged at Dresden. The exact circumstances are not known, but Marchand avoided the contest by leaving Dresden a few hours before it should have taken place. By implication, Bach won. Perhaps this emboldened him to renew his request for permission to leave Weimar; at all events he did so but in such terms that the duke imprisoned him for a month (November 6–December 2). A few days after his release, Bach moved to Köthen, some 30 miles north of Halle. The Köthen period There, as musical director, he was concerned chiefly with chamber and orchestral music. Even though some of the works may have been composed earlier and revised later, it was at Köthen that the sonatas for violin and clavier and for viola da gamba and clavier and the works for unaccompanied violin and cello were put into something like their present form. The Brandenburg Concertos were finished by March 24, 1721; in the sixth concerto—so it has been suggested—Bach bore in mind the technical limitations of the prince, who played the gamba. Bach played the viola by choice; he liked to be “in the middle of the harmony.” He also wrote a few cantatas for the prince’s birthday and other such occasions; most of these seem to have survived only in later versions, adapted to more generally useful words. And he found time to compile pedagogical keyboard works: the Clavierbüchlein for W.F. Bach (begun January 22, 1720), some of the French Suites, the Inventions (1720), and the first book (1722) of Das Wohltemperierte Klavier (The Well-Tempered Clavier, eventually consisting of two books, each of 24 preludes and fugues in all keys and known as “the Forty-Eight”). This remarkable collection systematically explores both the potentials of a newly established tuning procedure—which, for the first time in the history of keyboard music, made all the keys equally usable—and the possibilities for musical organization afforded by the system of “functional tonality,” a kind of musical syntax consolidated in the music of the Italian concerto composers of the preceding generation and a system that was to prevail for the next 200 years. At the same time, The Well-Tempered Clavier is a compendium of the most popular forms and styles of the era: dance types, arias, motets, concerti, etc., presented within the unified aspect of a single compositional technique—the rigorously logical and venerable fugue. Maria Barbara Bach died unexpectedly and was buried on July 7, 1720. About November, Bach visited Hamburg; his wife’s death may have unsettled him and led him to inquire after a vacant post at the Jacobikirche. Nothing came of this, but he played at the Katharinenkirke in the presence of Reinken. After hearing Bach improvise variations on a chorale tune, the old man said, “I thought this art was dead; but I see it still lives in you.” On December 3, 1721, Bach married Anna Magdalena Wilcken, daughter of a trumpeter at Weissenfels. Apart from his first wife’s death, these first four years at Köthen were probably the happiest of Bach’s life. He was on the best terms with the prince, who was genuinely musical; and in 1730 Bach said that he had expected to end his days there. But the prince married on December 11, 1721, and conditions deteriorated. The princess—described by Bach as “an amusa” (that is to say, opposed to the muses)—required so much of her husband’s attention that Bach began to feel neglected. He also had to think of the education of his elder sons, born in 1710 and 1714, and he probably began to think of moving to Leipzig as soon as the cantorate fell vacant with the death of Johann Kuhnau on June 5, 1722. Bach applied in December, but the post—already turned down by Bach’s friend, Georg Philipp Telemann—was offered to another prominent composer of the day, Christoph Graupner, the musical director at Darmstadt. As the latter was not sure that he would be able to accept, Bach gave a trial performance (Cantata No. 22, Jesu nahm zu sich die Zwölfe [Jesus Called unto Him the Twelve]) on February 7, 1723; and, when Graupner withdrew (April 9), Bach was so deeply committed to Leipzig that, although the princess had died on April 4, he applied for permission to leave Köthen. This he obtained on April 13, and on May 13 he was sworn in at Leipzig. He was appointed honorary musical director at Köthen, and both he and Anna were employed there from time to time until the prince died, on November 19, 1728. Years at Leipzig As director of church music for the city of Leipzig, Bach had to supply performers for four churches. At the Peterskirche the choir merely led the hymns. At the Neue Kirche, Nikolaikirche, and Thomaskirche, part singing was required; but Bach himself conducted, and his own church music was performed, only at the last two. His first official performance was on May 30, 1723, the first Sunday after Trinity Sunday, with Cantata No. 75, Die Elenden sollen essen. New works produced during this year include many cantatas and the Magnificat in its first version. The first half of 1724 saw the production of the St. John Passion, which was subsequently revised. The total number of cantatas produced during this ecclesiastical year was about 62, of which about 39 were new works. On June 11, 1724, the first Sunday after Trinity, Bach began a fresh annual cycle of cantatas, and within the year he wrote 52 of the so-called chorale cantatas, formerly supposed to have been composed over the nine-year period 1735–44. The “Sanctus” of the Mass in B Minor was produced at Christmas. During his first two or three years at Leipzig, Bach produced a large number of new cantatas, sometimes, as research has revealed, at the rate of one a week. This phenomenal pace raises the question of Bach’s approach to composition. Bach and his contemporaries, subject to the hectic pace of production, had to invent or discover their ideas quickly and could not rely on the unpredictable arrival of “inspiration.” Nor did the musical conventions and techniques or the generally rationalistic outlook of the time necessitate this reliance, as long as the composer was willing to accept them. The Baroque composer who submitted to the regimen inevitably had to be a traditionalist who willingly embraced the conventions. Symbolism A repertoire of melody types existed, for example, that was generated by an explicit “doctrine of figures” that created musical equivalents for the figures of speech in the art of rhetoric. Closely related to these “figures” are such examples of pictorial symbolism in which the composer writes, say, a rising scale to match words that speak of rising from the dead or a descending chromatic scale (depicting a howl of pain) to sorrowful words. Pictorial symbolism of this kind occurs only in connection with words—in vocal music and in chorale preludes, where the words of the chorale are in the listener’s mind. There is no point in looking for resurrection motifs in The Well-Tempered Clavier. Pictorialism, even when not codified into a doctrine, seems to be a fundamental musical instinct and essentially an expressive device. It can, however, become more abstract, as in the case of number symbolism, a phenomenon observed too often in the works of Bach to be dismissed out of hand. Number symbolism is sometimes pictorial; in the St. Matthew Passion it is reasonable that the question “Lord, is it I?” should be asked 11 times, once by each of the faithful disciples. But the deliberate search for such symbolism in Bach’s music can be taken too far. Almost any number may be called “symbolic” (3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 41 are only a few examples); any multiple of such a number is itself symbolic; and the number of sharps in a key signature, notes in a melody, measures in a piece, and so on may all be considered significant. As a result, it is easy to find symbolic numbers anywhere, but ridiculous to suppose that such discoveries invariably have a meaning. Bach, J.S.: St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244b, “Have mercy, Lord, on me” The aria “Have mercy, Lord, on me” from J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244b; from a 1946 recording featuring contralto Kathleen Ferrier and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent. Bach, J.S.: St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244b, “Mein Jesu, gute Nacht!” The final chorus, “Mein Jesu, gute Nacht!,” from J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244b; from a 1954 recording by the Chamber Orchestra and Chorus of the Vienna Academy of Music conducted by Ferdinand Grossmann. Besides the melody types, the Baroque composer also had at his disposal similar stereotypes regarding the further elaboration of these themes into complete compositions, so that the arias and choruses of a cantata almost seem to have been spun out “automatically.” One is reminded of Bach’s delightfully innocent remark “I have had to work hard; anyone who works just as hard will get just as far,” with its implication that everything in the “craft” of music is teachable and learnable. The fact that no other composer of the period, with the arguable exception of Handel, even remotely approached Bach’s achievement indicates clearly enough that the application of the “mechanical” procedures was not literally “automatic” but was controlled throughout by something else—artistic discrimination, or taste. One of the most respected attributes in the culture of the 18th century, “taste” is an utterly individual compound of raw talent, imagination, psychological disposition, judgment, skill, and experience. It is unteachable and unlearnable. As a result of his intense activity in cantata production during his first three years in Leipzig, Bach had created a supply of church music to meet his future needs for the regular Sunday and feast day services. After 1726, therefore, he turned his attention to other projects. He did, however, produce the St. Matthew Passion in 1729, a work that inaugurated a renewed interest in the mid-1730s for vocal works on a larger scale than the cantata: the now-lost St. Mark Passion (1731), the Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 (1734), and the Ascension Oratorio (Cantata No. 11, Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen; 1735). Nonmusical duties In addition to his responsibilities as director of church music, Bach also had various nonmusical duties in his capacity as the cantor of the school at Thomaskirche. Since he resented these latter obligations, Bach frequently absented himself without leave, playing or examining organs, taking his son Friedemann to hear the “pretty tunes,” as he called them, at the Dresden opera, and fulfilling the duties of the honorary court posts that he contrived to hold all his life. To some extent, no doubt, he accepted engagements because he needed money—he complained in 1730 that his income was less than he had been led to expect (he remarked that there were not enough funerals)—but, obviously, his routine work must have suffered. Friction between Bach and his employers thus developed almost at once. On the one hand, Bach’s initial understanding of the fees and prerogatives accruing to his position—particularly regarding his responsibility for musical activities in the University of Leipzig’s Paulinerkirche—differed from that of the town council and the university organist, Johann Gottlieb Görner. On the other hand, Bach remained, in the eyes of his employers, their third (and unenthusiastic) choice for the post, behind Telemann and Graupner. Furthermore, the authorities insisted on admitting unmusical boys to the school, thus making it difficult for Bach to keep his churches supplied with competent singers; they also refused to spend enough money to keep a decent orchestra together. The resulting ill feeling had become serious by 1730. It was temporarily dispelled by the tact of the new rector, Johann Matthias Gesner, who admired Bach and had known him at Weimar; but Gesner stayed only until 1734 and was succeeded by Johann August Ernesti, a young man with up-to-date ideas on education, one of which was that music was not one of the humanities but a time-wasting sideline. Trouble flared up again in July 1736; it then took the form of a dispute over Bach’s right to appoint prefects and became a public scandal. Fortunately for Bach, he became court composer to the elector of Saxony in November 1736. As such, after some delay, he was able to induce his friends at court to hold an official inquiry, and his dispute with Ernesti was settled in 1738. The exact terms of the settlement are not known, but thereafter Bach did as he liked. Instrumental works Bach, J.S.: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 “Aria” from J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations, BWV 988; from a 1933 recording by harpsichordist Wanda Landowska. In 1726, after he had completed the bulk of his cantata production, Bach began to publish the clavier Partitas singly, with a collected edition in 1731, perhaps with the intention of attracting recognition beyond Leipzig and thus securing a more amenable appointment elsewhere. The second part of the Clavierübung, containing the Concerto in the Italian Style and the French Overture (Partita) in B Minor, appeared in 1735. The third part, consisting of the Organ Mass with the Prelude and Fugue [“St. Anne”] in E-flat Major (BWV 552), appeared in 1739. From c. 1729 to 1736 Bach was honorary musical director to Weissenfels; and, from 1729 to 1737 and again from 1739 for a year or two, he directed the Leipzig Collegium Musicum. For these concerts, he adapted some of his earlier concerti as harpsichord concerti, thus becoming one of the first composers—if not the very first—of concerti for keyboard instrument and orchestra, just as he was one of the first to use the harpsichordist’s right hand as a true melodic part in chamber music. These are just two of several respects in which the basically conservative and traditional Bach was a significant innovator as well. About 1733 Bach began to produce cantatas in honour of the elector of Saxony and his family, evidently with a view to the court appointment he secured in 1736; many of these secular movements were adapted to sacred words and reused in the Christmas Oratorio. The “Kyrie” and “Gloria” of the Mass in B Minor, written in 1733, were also dedicated to the elector, but the rest of the Mass was not put together until Bach’s last years. On his visits to Dresden, Bach had won the regard of the Russian envoy, Hermann Karl, Reichsgraf (count) von Keyserlingk, who commissioned the so-called Goldberg Variations; these were published as part four of the Clavierübung in 1741, and Book Two of “the Forty-Eight” seems to have been compiled about the same time. In addition, he wrote a few cantatas, revised some of his Weimar organ works, and published the so-called Schübler Chorale Preludes in or after 1746. Last years In May 1747 he visited his son Emanuel at Potsdam and played before Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia; in July his improvisations, on a theme proposed by the king, took shape as The Musical Offering. In June 1747 he joined a Society of the Musical Sciences that had been founded by his former pupil Lorenz Christoph Mizler; he presented the canonic variations on the chorale Vom Himmel hoch da komm’ ich her (From Heaven Above to Earth I Come) to the society, in manuscript, and afterward published them. Of Bach’s last illness little is known except that it lasted several months and prevented him from finishing The Art of the Fugue. His constitution was undermined by two unsuccessful eye operations performed by John Taylor, the itinerant English quack who numbered Handel among his other failures; and Bach died on July 28, 1750, at Leipzig. His employers proceeded with relief to appoint a successor; Burgomaster Stieglitz remarked, “The school needs a cantor, not a musical director—though certainly he ought to understand music.” Anna Magdalena was left badly off. For some reason, her stepsons did nothing to help her, and her own sons were too young to do so. She died on February 27, 1760, and was given a pauper’s funeral. Unfinished as it was, The Art of the Fugue was published in 1751. It attracted little attention and was reissued in 1752 with a laudatory preface by Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg, a well-known Berlin musician who later became director of the royal lottery. In spite of Marpurg and of some appreciative remarks by Johann Mattheson, the influential Hamburg critic and composer, only about 30 copies had been sold by 1756, when Emanuel Bach offered the plates for sale. As far as is known, they were sold for scrap. Emanuel Bach and the organist-composer Johann Friedrich Agricola (a pupil of Sebastian’s) wrote an obituary; Mizler added a few closing words and published the result in the journal of his society (1754). There is an English translation of it in The Bach Reader. Though incomplete and inaccurate, the obituary is of very great importance as a firsthand source of information. Bach appears to have been a good husband and father. Indeed, he was the father of 20 children, only 10 of whom survived to maturity. There is amusing evidence of a certain thriftiness—a necessary virtue, for he was never more than moderately well off and he delighted in hospitality. Living as he did at a time when music was beginning to be regarded as no occupation for a gentleman, he occasionally had to stand up for his rights both as a man and as a musician; he was then obstinate in the extreme. But no sympathetic employer had any trouble with Bach, and with his professional brethren he was modest and friendly. He was also a good teacher and from his Mühlhausen days onward was never without pupils. Reputation and influence of Johann Sebastian Bach Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Sebastian Johann Sebastian Bach monument in Eisenach, Germany. For about 50 years after Bach’s death, his music was neglected. This was only natural; in the days of Haydn and Mozart, no one could be expected to take much interest in a composer who had been considered old-fashioned even in his lifetime—especially since his music was not readily available, and half of it (the church cantatas) was fast becoming useless as a result of changes in religious thought. At the same time, musicians of the late 18th century were neither so ignorant of Bach’s music nor so insensitive to its influence as some modern authors have suggested. Emanuel Bach’s debt to his father was considerable, and Bach exercised a profound and acknowledged influence directly on Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Revival of music After 1800 the revival of Bach’s music gained momentum. The German writer Johann Nikolaus Forkel published a study of Bach’s life and art in 1802 and acted as adviser to the publishers Hoffmeister and Kühnel, whose collected edition, begun in 1801, was cut short by the activities of Napoleon. By 1829 a representative selection of keyboard music was nonetheless available, although very few of the vocal works were published. But in that year the German musician Eduard Devrient and the German composer Felix Mendelssohn took the next step with the centenary performance of the St. Matthew Passion. It and the St. John Passion were both published in 1830; the Mass in B Minor followed (1832–45). The Leipzig publisher Peters began a collected edition of “piano” and instrumental works in 1837; the organ works followed in 1844–52. Encouraged by Robert Schumann, the Bach-Gesellschaft (BG) was founded in the centenary year 1850, with the purpose of publishing the complete works. By 1900 all the known works had been printed, and the BG was succeeded by the Neue Bach-Gesellschaft (NBG), which exists still, organizing festivals and publishing popular editions. Its chief publication is its research journal, the Bach-Jahrbuch (from 1904). By 1950 the deficiencies of the BG edition had become painfully obvious, and the Bach-Institut was founded, with headquarters at Göttingen and Leipzig, to produce a new standard edition (the Neue Bach-Ausgabe, or NBA), a publication that eventually exceeded 100 volumes. In retrospect, the Bach revival, reaching back to 1800, can be recognized as the first conspicuous example of the deliberate exhumation of old music, accompanied by biographical and critical studies. The revival also served as an inspiration and a model for subsequent work of a similar kind. Among the biographical and critical works on Bach, the most important was the monumental study Johann Sebastian Bach, 2 vol. (1873–80), by the German musicologist Philipp Spitta, covering not only Bach’s life and works but also a good deal of the historical background. Although wrong in many details, the book is still indispensable to the Bach student. Editions of Bach’s works Discover how researchers at Bachhaus museum use a facial-reconstruction program to determine Johann Sebastian Bach's appearance Discover how researchers at Bachhaus museum use a facial-reconstruction program to determine Johann Sebastian Bach's appearance Researchers use a facial-reconstruction program to determine Johann Sebastian Bach's appearance. See all videos for this article The word Urtext (“original text”) may lead the uninitiated to suppose that they are being offered an exact reproduction of what Bach wrote. It must be understood that the autographs of many important works no longer exist. Therefore, Bach’s intentions often have to be pieced together from anything up to 20 sources, all different. Even first editions and facsimiles of autograph manuscripts are not infallible guides to Bach’s intentions. In fact, they are often dangerously misleading, and practical musicians should take expert advice before consulting them. Editions published between 1752 and about 1840 are little more than curiosities, chiefly interesting for the light they throw on the progress of the revival. Bach, J.S.: Concerto No. 2 in D Minor for Solo Keyboard, BWV 593 First movement, “Allegro,” from J.S. Bach's Concerto No. 2 in D Minor for Solo Keyboard, BWV 593; from a 1953 recording by pianist Marie-Louise Girod. Bach, J.S.: Leipzig chorale “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,” BWV 659 J.S. Bach's Leipzig chorale “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,” BWV 659; from a 1951 recording by organist Helmut Walcha. Bach, J.S.: Concerto No. 1 in D Major for Solo Keyboard, BWV 972 First movement, “Allegro-Allegrissimo,” of J.S. Bach's Concerto No. 1 in D Major for Solo Keyboard, BWV 972; from a 1938 recording by pianist Wanda Landowska. Bach, J.S.: Sonata No. 1 in G Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1001 “Presto” from J.S. Bach's Sonata No. 1 in G Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1001; from a 1954 recording by Henryk Szeryng. Bach, J.S.: Partita No. 1 in B Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1002 “Tempo de bourrée” from J.S. Bach's Partita No. 1 in B Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1002; from a 1954 recording by violinist Henryk Szeryng. Bach, J.S.: Sonata No. 2 in A Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1003 “Allegro finale” from J.S. Bach's Sonata No. 2 in A Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1003; from a 1954 recording by violinist Henryk Szeryng. Bach, J.S.: Partita No. 2 in D Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1004 “Chaconne” from Bach's Partita No. 2 in D Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1004; from a 1954 recording by violinist Henryk Szeryng. Bach, Johann Sebastian: Sonata No. 3 in C Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1005 “Allegro assai” from Bach's Sonata No. 3 in C Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1005; from a 1954 recording by violinist Henryk Szeryng. Bach, J.S.: Partita No. 3 in E Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1006 “Preludio” from J.S. Bach's Partita No. 3 in E Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1006; from a 1954 recording by violinist Henryk Szeryng. Bach, J.S.: Suite No. 1 in G Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1007 “Prelude” from Bach's Suite No. 1 in G Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1007; from a 1939 recording by cellist Pablo Casals. Bach, J.S.: Suite No. 2 in D Minor for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1008 “Gigue” from J.S. Bach's Suite No. 2 in D Minor for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1008; from a 1939 recording by Pablo Casals. Bach, J.S.: Suite No. 3 in C Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1009 “Allemande” from Bach's Suite No. 3 in C Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1009; from a 1939 recording by Pablo Casals. Bach, J.S.: Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1010 “Courante” from J.S. Bach's Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1010; from a 1939 recording by Pablo Casals. Bach, J.S.: Suite No. 5 in C Minor for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1011 “Sarabande” from Bach's Suite No. 5 in C Minor for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1011; from a 1939 recording by cellist Pablo Casals. Bach, J.S.: Suite No. 6 in D Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1012 “Gavotte II” from J.S. Bach's Suite No. 6 in D Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1012; from a 1939 recording by Pablo Casals. Bach, J.S.: Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins, BWV 1043 First movement, “Vivace,” of J.S. Bach's Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins, BWV 1043; from a 1932 recording featuring violinists Yehudi Menuhin and George Enesco and the Paris Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Monteux. Bach, J.S.: Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins, BWV 1043 Second movement, “Largo ma non troppo,” of J.S. Bach's Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins, BWV 1043; from a 1932 recording featuring violinists Yehudi Menuhin and Georges Enesco and the Paris Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Monteux. Bach, J.S.: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049 Second movement, “Andante,” of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049; from a 1949 recording by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra conducted by Karl Münchinger. Bach, J.S.: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050 First movement, “Allegro,” of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050; from a 1949 recording by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra conducted by Karl Münchinger. Bach, J.S.: Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat Major, BWV 1051 First movement, “Allegro moderato,” of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat Major, BWV 1051; from a 1949 recording by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra conducted by Karl Münchinger. No comprehensive edition is trustworthy throughout: neither Peters nor the BG nor even the NBA. Nevertheless, it is advisable to begin by finding out whether the music desired has been published in the NBA. (For additional music by Bach, see Concerto No. 2 in D Minor for Solo Keyboard, BWV 593; the Leipzig chorale “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland” (“Now Come, Saviour of All”), BWV 659; Concerto No. 1 in D Major for Solo Keyboard, BWV 972; Sonata No. 1 in G Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1001; Partita No. 1 in B Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1002; Sonata No. 2 in A Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1003; Partita No. 2 in D Minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1004; Sonata No. 3 in C Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1005; Partita No. 3 in E Major for Solo Violin, BWV 1006; Suite No. 1 in G Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1007; Suite No. 2 in D Minor for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1008; Suite No. 3 in C Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1009; Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1010; Suite No. 5 in C Minor for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1011; Suite No. 6 in D Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1012; Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043 (first movement); Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043 (second movement); Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049; Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, BWV 1050; and Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-flat Major, BWV 1051. Walter Emery Robert L. Marshall capriccio Table of Contents Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics Related Questions What is Johannes Brahms famous for? How did Johannes Brahms become famous? What was Johann Sebastian Bach’s childhood like? Read Next the Beatles. Publicity still from Help! (1965) directed by Richard Lester starring The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) a British musical quartet. film rock music movie What's the Difference Between Tempo and Rhythm? Woman Playing a Theorbo to Two Men, oil on canvas by Gerard Terborch, 1667-1668. (Baroque Art) What’s That Sound?: 8 Intriguing Early Musical Instruments Macro of sheet music 10 Classical Music Composers to Know The last big concert of Jimi Hendrix before he died in London was in Germany on the isle of Fehmarn 6th of September 1970. The festival was called Love-and-Peace-Festival. Is 27 an Especially Deadly Age for Musicians? Vincent Van Gogh, Self Portrait. Oil on canvas, 1887. Rediscovered Artists: 6 Big Names That Time Almost Forgot Discover The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. (ancient architecture; architectural ruins) New Seven Wonders of the World Ahura Mazda - relief of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda at the ancient ruins of Persepolis in Iran. Also known as Ormazd Zoroastrianism, Which Religion Is the Oldest? Scottish fold cat. A genetic mutation caused (in the original cat-1961) the ears to bend forward and down. Shorthair Cat Breeds Lake Issyk-kul kyrgyzstan 9 of the World’s Deepest Lakes Encyclopaedia Britannica First Edition: Volume 1, Plate XXXVIII, Figure 2, Ark, Ark of the Covenant, a small chest, coffer, contains Aaron's rod, manna pot, tables of covenant, Schechinah, Divine Presence, oracle, shittim-wood, acacia tree Where Is the Ark of the Covenant? Wasp spider. Argiope bruennichi. Orb-weaver spider. Spiders. Arachnid. Cobweb. Spider web. Spider's web. Spider silk. Black and yellow striped wasp spider spinning a web. Do We Really Swallow Spiders in Our Sleep? Nativity Scene, Adoration of the Magi, Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, Montenegro Why Is Christmas in December? Home Entertainment & Pop Culture Music Theory & Compositions Arts & Culture capriccio music Written and fact-checked by Last Updated: Article History Category: Arts & Culture Italian: “caprice” Key People: Johann Sebastian Bach Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Johannes Brahms Felix Mendelssohn Carl Maria von Weber Related Topics: musical form Capriccio, (Italian: “caprice”) lively, loosely structured musical composition that is often humorous in character. As early as the 16th century the term was occasionally applied to canzonas, fantasias, and ricercari (often modelled on vocal imitative polyphony). Baroque composers from Girolamo Frescobaldi to J.S. Bach wrote keyboard capriccios displaying strictly fugal as well as whimsical characteristics. Bach’s earliest dated keyboard work is his Capriccio “on the Departure of His Beloved Brother,” which cites among other musical references a coachman’s horn calls. Pietro Locatelli’s 24 violin capriccios served as models for those of Niccolò Paganini in the 19th century, when the genre enjoyed a certain vogue. Carl Maria von Weber, Felix Mendelssohn, and Johannes Brahms so entitled a number of pieces for piano, whereas Beethoven limited himself to the occasional addition of the adjective capriccioso to such standard tempo modifiers as andante and allegro. Later in the century Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote his Capriccio italien for orchestra and Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov his Capriccio espagnol. More recently, Igor Stravinsky conceived his Piano Concerto (1929) as a capriccio. Capriccio is also the title of Richard Strauss’s last opera (1942), as well as of several late 20th-century works by the Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. chordophone Table of Contents Introduction References & Edit History Images Celempung, chordophone from Java, Indonesia.Kamanjā from Iran.Kora, chordophone from The Gambia.barrel pianobarrel piano Quizzes Gong. Closeup of a khong wong gong circle chime. Thai classical musical instrument, part of piphat ensemble. (percussion, music) Music Quiz Read Next Old broken disused piano with damaged keys Is the Piano a Percussion or a Stringed Instrument? Woman Playing a Theorbo to Two Men, oil on canvas by Gerard Terborch, 1667-1668. (Baroque Art) What’s That Sound?: 8 Intriguing Early Musical Instruments Woman Playing a Theorbo to Two Men, oil on canvas by Gerard Terborch, 1667-1668. (Baroque Art) What’s That Sound?: 8 Intriguing Early Musical Instruments Undated photograph of American violinist Nathan Milstein playing a 1716 Stradivarius violin. Undated photo. What’s So Special About Stradivarius Violins? Old broken disused piano with damaged keys Is the Piano a Percussion or a Stringed Instrument? Discover Ruminant. Deer. Red deer. Cervus elaphus. Buck. Stag. Antlers. 9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals Saint Lucia Day. Young girl wears Lucia crown (tinsel halo) with candles. Holds Saint Lucia Day currant laced saffron buns (lussekatter or Lucia's cats). Observed December 13 honor virgin martyr Santa Lucia (St. Lucy). Luciadagen, Christmas, Sweden 7 Winter Solstice Celebrations From Around the World Wasp spider. Argiope bruennichi. Orb-weaver spider. Spiders. Arachnid. Cobweb. Spider web. Spider's web. Spider silk. Black and yellow striped wasp spider spinning a web. Do We Really Swallow Spiders in Our Sleep? Encyclopaedia Britannica First Edition: Volume 1, Plate XXXVIII, Figure 2, Ark, Ark of the Covenant, a small chest, coffer, contains Aaron's rod, manna pot, tables of covenant, Schechinah, Divine Presence, oracle, shittim-wood, acacia tree Where Is the Ark of the Covenant? Illustration for Demystified "Spontaneous human combustion". Is Spontaneous Human Combustion Real? The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. (ancient architecture; architectural ruins) New Seven Wonders of the World Town of Sisimiut located on the coast of the Davis Strait on Kangerluarsunnguaq Bay, Greenland The Largest Islands in the World Home Entertainment & Pop Culture Musical Instruments Arts & Culture chordophone musical instrument Written and fact-checked by Last Updated: Article History Celempung, chordophone from Java, Indonesia. chordophone See all media Category: Arts & Culture Related Topics: guitar lyre zither piano lute Kamanjā from Iran. Kamanjā from Iran. Kora, chordophone from The Gambia. Kora, chordophone from The Gambia. Chordophone, any of a class of musical instruments in which a stretched, vibrating string produces the initial sound. The five basic types are bows, harps, lutes, lyres, and zithers. Who Was Felix Mendelssohn? German composer Felix Mendelssohn made his public debut in Berlin at just 9 years old. In 1819, he joined the Singakademie music academy and began composing non-stop. At Singakademie, he also became a conductor, but continued to compose prolifically. Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatory of Music in 1843. Childhood Pianist, composer and conductor Felix Mendelssohn was born Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy in Hamburg, Germany, on February 3, 1809. His parents were Jewish, but converted to Christianity before he, his brother and two sisters were born. When Mendelssohn was 2 years old, he moved to Berlin with his parents and siblings. In Berlin, the young Mendelssohn began taking piano lessons with Ludwig Berger. Mendelssohn also studied composition under composer K.F. Zelter as a child. In 1816, he broadened his lessons, studying under pianist Marie Bigot during an extended stay in Paris, France. Mendelssohn was quick to establish himself as a musical prodigy. During his childhood, he composed a handful of operas and 11 symphonies. At just 9 years old, he made his public debut in Berlin. Early Work In 1819, Mendelssohn joined the Singakademie music academy and began composing non-stop. In 1820 alone, he wrote a violin sonata, two piano sonatas, multiple songs, a cantata, a brief opera and a male quartet. In 1826, Mendelssohn produced one of his best known works, Overture to a Midsummer Night's Dream. He presented his opera The Marriage of the Camacho, the following year in Berlin. It was the only opera of his performed in public during his life. At Singakademie, Mendelssohn also became a conductor. In 1829, he conducted a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. The performance's success led to other great opportunities, including a chance to conduct the London Philharmonic Society that same year. Inspired by his visit to England and Scotland, Mendelssohn began composing his Symphony No. 3; it took more than a decade to complete. Known as his Scottish Symphony, the work commemorated his visit to Holyrood Chapel in Edinburgh and the highlands. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Mendelssohn continued to compose prolifically while working as a conductor. He wrote the Reformation Symphony in 1830, and followed that 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 Mendelssohn's best known works, was also born of this period. In 1835, Mendelssohn was granted an illustrious role: conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. Personal Life In 1836, a year after his father died, Mendelssohn met Cécile Jeanrenaud, a clergyman's daughter, in Frankfurt. Mendelssohn 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. Later Work The same year that he married, Mendelssohn composed his Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor. From 1838 to 1844, he toiled away on his Violin Concerto in E Minor. Prior to the piece's completion, Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatory of Music and became its director. In so doing, he put Leipzig on the map as the musical center of Germany. After finishing Violin Concerto in E Minor, Mendelssohn conducted a string of concerts for the Philharmonic. In 1846 he presented his newly written Elijah at the Birmingham Festival. Final Years and Death In May 1847, Mendelssohn's sister, Fanny, who was a lifelong inspiration to him, died suddenly. Her death left him so devastated that he soon lost his own zest for life. His health, already compromised by his strenuous career, began to deteriorate rapidly. 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 F Minor. Although he was only 38 when he died, Mendelssohn managed to distinguish himself as one of the first significant Romantic composers of the 1800s. QUICK FACTS Name: Felix Mendelssohn Birth Year: 1809 Birth date: February 3, 1809 Birth City: Hamburg Birth Country: Germany Gender: Male Best Known For: German Romantic composer, pianist and conductor Felix Mendelssohn wrote the Overture to a 'Midsummer Night's Dream' and founded the Leipzig Conservatory of Music. Industries Classical Astrological Sign: Aquarius Schools Singakademie Nacionalities German Death Year: 1847 Death date: November 4, 1847 Death City: Leipzig Death Country: Germany Impact: Mendelssohn by Brett Carl Mendelssohn's Life Mendelssohn's Spiritual Life St. Paul Oratorio Paul's Influence Bibliography Mendelssohn 1809-1847 Mendelssohn's Life (1809-1847) back to top Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, the son of a Berlin Banker was born at Hamburg, February 3, 1809. He was the grandson of the famous German philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. Felix was a German composer, pianist, musical conductor, teacher, and one of the most celebrated figures of the Romantic period. In contrast to most composers, Mendelssohn was raised in a luxurious lifestyle. He was born to Jewish parents, but in order to live in accordance with 19th century liberal ideas they adopted the Christian faith. Felix was baptized in his youth along with his brother and two sisters into the Lutheran Faith. Mendelssohn studied piano with Ludwig Berger and composition with K.F. Zelter, who had an incredible influence on his development. Mendolssohn was highly educated in the arts through music, literature, painting and travel. He was very mature as a boy and wrote many compositions in his childhood years, including 5 operas, 11 symphonies for string orchestra, concerti, sonatas, and fugues. He made his first public appearance at the age of 9 and performed his first original composition at the age of 9 years old. Mendelssohn's popularity and prestige during his lifetime were enormous in the German states, England and Austria. He held many positions throughout his musical career. In 1833 he conducted the Lower Rhine Festival in Dussledorff and later settled there as the temporary general music director(1833-35). In 1835, Mendelssohn left for Leipzig where he was the conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. He was commissioned as music director to King Frederick William IV of Prussia in 1841. In 1843 he helped to organize and found the Leipzig conservatory where with his friend Schumann, he taught composition. In May of 1847, his sister and one of his closest friends died. This was a crushing blow to his life as well. He collapsed physically after hearing this news. After her death his motivation and energies left him and he died a few months later in Leipzig on November 4, 1947. Despite Mendelssohn's many positions and busy schedule, he was a prolific composer. The following are some of his works: Five symphonies, including: the Italian Symphony (1833) the Scotch Symphony (1843) His overtures: The Hebrides (or Fingal's cave; 1832) Meeresstille und gluckliche Fahrt (1828-32) Die schone Melusine (1833) Violin Concerto of 1844 His music for plays: the overture for Victor Hugo's Ruy Blas (1839) Midsummer Night's Dream Choral music Psalms Hymn of Praise Oratorio's St. Paul (1836) Elijah (1846) Chamber Music Six string quartets -- The best are the two in E-flat opp. 12 and 94, and the late quartet in F minor, op. 80 (1847). two quintets an octet in E-flat major a sextet for piano and violin two sonatas for piano and violoncello: D minor, op. 49 C minor, op. 66 Piano Music: Songs without Words Mendelssohn's Spiritual Life* back to top Felix was born into a Jewish family but because of social issues the family converted to the Lutheran faith. He was baptized in his youth along with his brother and two sisters into the Lutheran Faith. Mendelssohn embraced Christianity fervently his entire life. His biographer wrote the following about his life, "He was faithful to the Christian religion and took it seriously(Werner, 43-4)...Reverence, fear God, the sense of praise, of gratitude, of bitter complaints and of pride in one's faith, all these lie in his personality. He had great respect for the Biblical Word(208)." Mendelssohn joined the Lutheran Church, and was attracted to the music of the Protestant Bach (Kaufman, 87). According to Patrick Kavanaugh in his book The Spiritual Lives of Great Composers, Mendelssohn never hesitated to display his faith openly to those around him. One composer wrote of his admiration for Mendelssohnm: "So richly favored and endowed, so beloved and admired, and at the same time so strong in mind and character, that he never once let slip the bridle of religious discipline, nor the just sense of modesty and humility, nor ever fell short of his standard duty(Devrient, 302). Mendelssohn's wife, Cecile (formerly Jeanrenaud) was the daughter of a French Protestant clergyman. She was known to be a pious believer and a womenaof prayer (Marek, 257). The Bible was an important part of Mendelssohn's life. It provided much of the inspiration for his work. Whenever he had to set a piece of scripture to music, he was always "painstakingly precise about the wording(Ja cob, 220). One of Mendelssohn's close friends said the following about him. "He felt that all faith must be based on Holy Writ (Polko, 115-6)." Kavanaugh shows that Mendelssohn congratulated his librettist saying, "I am glad to learn that you are searching out the always heart-affecting sense of the scriptural words(Edwards, 13). Mendelssohn did not like the text to be altered and when it was he said "I Have time after time had to restore the precise text of the Bible. It is the best in the end (Alexander, 96)." Mendelssohn was a man of God who sought to do his best to write music that was pleasing to him He wrote the following in one of his letters " Pray to God that he may create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us(Hensel, 337). * Most of the foregoing information on Mendelssohn's spiritual life comes from Kavenaugh's book The Spiritual Lives of Great Composers. St. Paul Oratio back to top The St. Paul Oratorio, the first of Mendelssohn's two oratorio's, was begun in Dusseldorf and finished in Leipzig in the winter of 1835. The libretto was a joint compilation between Furst and Schubring with consultation with Mendelssohn. The Oratorio itself consists of three major themes. These are the martyrdom of Stephen, the conversion of Paul, and the apostle's subsequent career. The work was written by a commission from the Cecilien Verein of Frankfort in 1831, but was not performed until 1836 at the Lower Rhine Festival at Dusseldorf. The first half of this work begins after a long and expressive overture for orchestra and organ. The first part opens with a strong and exultant chorus ("Lord! Thou art God"). It is written effectively on a massive scale, and it's middle part runs into a restless, agitated theme ("The Heathen furiously rage"). It closes, however, in the same energetic and jubilant manner which characterizes its opening, and leads directly to the Choral ("To God on High"). This section is serenely beautiful in its flowing harmony. The next section is the martyrdom of Stephen. Here the bass voices accuse him of blasphemy in a vigorous recitative. Stephen sings a brief solo then shouts from the chorus are heard ("Take him away"). He is soon stoned and a few bars of recitative in the tenor part tell the sad story of this tragic event. A beautiful chorale of submission then occurs ("To Thee, O Lord, I yield my spirit"). Saul soon appears criticizing the apostles. His first aria is a bass which is fiery and full of energy("consume them all"). Next comes a beautiful arioso for alto. Then the conversion scene occurs. The voice from heaven("Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me") is represented by the soprano choir which stands in contrast to the rest of the work. After an orchestra interlude the music builds up with a crescendo to the vigorous chorus "Rise up! Arise!" This is followed by a chorale("Sleepers, wake! A Voice is calling"). The music grows deeper and Saul prays a prayer asking for God to have mercy on Him. A more joyful part occurs in the bass solo with chorus ("I will praise thee, O Lord, my God). After Saul receives his sight, a grand reflective chorus sings out ("O great is the Depth of the Riches of Wisdom"). This ends the first part of the oratorio with a powerful climax. * For further information consult the books in the Bibliography. Much of the foregoing information on the St. Paul Oratio comes from George Upton's book: The Standard Oratorios: Their stories, their music, and their composers; Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Co., 1896. Paul's Influence* back to top Mendelssohn first began considering writing the St. Paul Oratorio while in Rome. He had spent a lot of time looking at a great deal of Titian and Raphael in the galleries of Rome. Many speculate that this was his inspiration for the Oratorio. Mendelssohn could have explained his reason for choosing Paul as the subject for his first Oratorio. But when this work was revealed to the public the explanations were not necessary. He believed that a work either justifies itself or it could not be justified. Paul, as a figure, was tremendously important to Felix both personally and in his own time period. Mendelssohn was born to Jewish parents just as Paul and converted to Christianity (although in a different manner) like Paul. "For Paul, the founder of the supranational religion, was the first man of classical intiquity who denounced the mysticism of blood and race which characterized the peoples of antiquity." Paul did not look at Jews or Greeks or Romans or Pagans as God's chosen people. People ceased to be prosecuted for their birth. According to Heinrich Jacob, what Paul proclaimed was pan-humanism. "What a powerful appeal would such a doctrine as 'the nullity of the fleshly heritage' have to someone like Mendelssohn!" Felix was dedicated to make sure that the text of the St. Paul Oratorio did not compromise the scriptures and that he did not make any mistakes. In Dusseldorf Felix came across a book about early Christianity. It was called Gfrorer's Geschichte des Urchristentums. He was so intrigued by this book that he took it every where he went. It went everywhere from riding in the woods to reading in the rain. Mendelssohn read everything he could about Greek history and daily life in Paul's day. He probably knew more than was necessary for his task as a composer. Nevertheless, the fascination with Paul and with presenting an accurate picture of Paul in his oratorio remained the most important things about this work. Paul must have had a tremendous influence on Mendelssohn considering the time and the labor spent researching, the similarity to his own life and Sitz Im Leben. Let us not forget to follow Felix's own advice and to the work justify itself. There we can see one last place where Paul influenced Mendelssohn. * For further information consult the Bibliography. But special attention and thanks must be given to Heinrich Edward Jacob: Felix Mendelssohn and His times; Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,1963. Bibliography back to top Alexander, W.F., editor, Selected Letters of Mendelssohn. London: Swan Sonnenschein and Co., 1894. Devrient, Edward, My Recollections of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. New York: Vienna House, 1972. Edwards, Frederick George, The History of Mendelssohn's Oratorio "Elijah." London: Novello, Ewer and Co., 1896. Elvers, Rudolf, Felix Mendelssohn: A life in Letters. New York: International Publishing Co., 1986. Encarta '95. Microsoft Corporation. 1992-1994. Encyclopedia Americana Volume XVIII of XXX. Grolier Inc., 1981. Encyclopedia Britannica. Volume VIIII. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britanica Inc., 1993. Grout, Donald and Palisca, Claude, A History of Western Music (fourth edition). W.W. Norton and Company, 1988. Hensel, Sebastian, The Mendelssohn Family: From Letters and Journals. (VI) Westport: Greenwood Press, 1968. Jacob, Heinrick Edward, Felix Mendelssohn and His Times. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice- Hall, Inc.,1963. Hendrie, Gerald, Mendelssohn's Rediscovery of Bach. Buckinghamshire: The Open University Press, 1971. Hiller, Ferdinand, Mendelssohn, Letters and Recollections. New York: Vienna House, 1972. Kaufman, Shima, Mendelssohn, "A Second Elijah." Westport: Greenwood Press, 1962. Kavanaugh, Patrick. The Spiritual Lives of Great Composers. Nashville, Tennessee: Sparrow Press, 1992. Kupferberg, Herbert, The Mendelssohns; Three Generations of Genius. New York: Charles Scribner's and Sons, 1972. Marek, George R., Gentle Genius, the story of Felix Mendelssohn. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1972. Mendelssohn, Paul, Letters of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy from 1833 to 1847. Freeport, New York: Books for Libraries Press, 1970. Polko, Elise, Reminisces of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. New York: Leypoldt and Holt, 1869. Radcliffe, Phillip, Mendelssohn. London: J.M. Dent and Sons, Ltd., 1967. Stratton, Stephen S., Mendelssohn. J.M. Dent and Sons ltd., 1934. Upton, George, The Standard Oratorios: Their stories, their music, and their composers. Chicago: A.C. McClurg and Co., 1896. Werner, Eric, Mendelssohn: A New Image of the Composer and His Age. London: Collier-MacMillan, Ltd., 1963. A Brief History of Felix Mendelssohn pianoTV 143K subscribers Subscribe 767 Share Download Thanks Clip 25K views 4 years ago Music History Happy 2023! 😃I'll be releasing some new videos this year, so be sure to subscribe to the channel for updates! I also host monthly teaching webinars, which are free to join. You can sign up for the PianoTV mailing list to receive details on upcoming webinars here: https://pianotv.ck.page/49bf70e8eb … 79 Comments rongmaw lin Add a comment... @mateusvahl5072 @mateusvahl5072 4 years ago "Let me remind you that even if you do possess friends and admirers worthier and closer to you, none is more sincere than I" Chopin letter to Chopin Felix Mendelssohn 25 Reply @cameronjamieson5091 @cameronjamieson5091 3 years ago It is sad that Fanny Mendelssohn never gets the credit she deserves as a composer. IMHO -her works for piano were on par with those from Felix. Fanny, although not accepted as a composer by the society at the time still composed many great pieces -even some were published under Felix's name! 14 Reply @roelcreationssonglyrics7839 @roelcreationssonglyrics7839 1 year ago (edited) I have just finished this topic about Romantic period Felix Mendelssohn in particular(in high school)... Thanks for the explanation ✅ 2 Reply @imedicineman @imedicineman 4 years ago I generally think of Mendelssohn for his symphonies and other orchestral works rather than his rpiano contributions. 'looking forward to the deeper dive. Great stuff here Allysia as always. Thank you. 23 Reply @codonomicus @codonomicus 3 years ago Came for the proper pronunciation of his name, stuck around because in the six terms of my music theory education I never stopped to learn anything about the man. Thanks for the presentation! 2 Reply @matejeber91 @matejeber91 4 years ago (edited) Great video! The Conservatorium that Mendelssohn established in Leipzig it is known as the first institute for music in Germany. He definitely made a huge contribution that we still know Bach (Johann was almost forgotten and his sons were more famous) because he even gave initiative to build Bach memorial in front of Thomas Church in Leipzig. He also made a huge progress in conducting. 12 Reply @anaorsolo1370 @anaorsolo1370 2 years ago Muchas gracias por la biografía de Mendelssohn, estoy a la espera de un resumen breve de sus principales obras. 3 Reply @OctoberEclipse @OctoberEclipse 4 years ago You should do Satie next. He had a very strange life 4 Reply @randybedingfield2349 @randybedingfield2349 1 year ago The greatest composer in history.. In my estimation: most impressive prodigy of all time... that I am aware of anyway... creativity, accomplishments (educator and founder of Leipzig Conservatory) prolific output, quality and facility on the klavier ... piano scores are extremely challenging and require expertise in technique.and fluid yet relaxed technique to pull off. And all this while only living less than 40 yrs of age. Unsurpassed, I would say- Even by Mozart . 2 Reply @Juanchistanchis @Juanchistanchis 8 months ago you should do a brief history of ludovico einaudi 2 Reply @FelipeCostaPiano @FelipeCostaPiano 4 years ago Mendelssohn is amazing! Looking forward for more videos about him :) 6 Reply @raylotfi @raylotfi 3 months ago Outstanding presentation, thank you Reply @kianaallameh9937 @kianaallameh9937 2 years ago Thanks for this! 1 Reply @katerinakonecna766 @katerinakonecna766 1 year ago can you please do more of these? your videos are really helpful for me and i love to watch them. Dvorak, Smetana and Janacek would be the best! Thank you so much 1 Reply @arielfuxman8868 @arielfuxman8868 4 years ago It suprised me to hear that he is forgotten often 2 Reply @EduardoGonzalez-hh7sp @EduardoGonzalez-hh7sp 4 years ago Great video Allysia! Nicely done and very informative as usual .. thank you for all your work! 7 Reply @lemontea9735 @lemontea9735 3 years ago This was a very informative video about Menselssohn's life! 2 Reply @christophervaca7116 @christophervaca7116 4 years ago I'm here for this. 3 Reply @elpidatheo3373 @elpidatheo3373 2 years ago Thank you so much! It help a lot for my lessons at history of music! Many greetings from Greece! :) 1 Reply @dylansauers @dylansauers 3 years ago Your channel is great! Rediscovering my enjoyment of classical piano as of late and its been fun watching your short docs of these timeless musicians. 🙏🏻 1 Reply @gabrieltorres8734 @gabrieltorres8734 4 years ago I wish you were my piano teacher 😍 2 Reply @stepanru4516 @stepanru4516 4 years ago please, spend some time on liszt rendition of midsummer dream in one of the next episodes, wish to learn it some day 2 Reply @shihuitan1965 @shihuitan1965 1 year ago pls share a brief history of robert schumann too 1 Reply @sumonchakrabartty5049 @sumonchakrabartty5049 4 years ago Should check out moritz moszkowski - lesser known late romantic composer; his concerto in e major is particularly wonderful 4 Reply @finnandjakeonapoptartcat5265 @finnandjakeonapoptartcat5265 4 years ago Do me next! 7 Reply 1 reply @stephenstringer3328 @stephenstringer3328 1 year ago I love your AWESOME work. All of it is exactly ON POINT. However, I believe that the pronunciation of Goethe is "gur-tah"..... (I could absolutely be wrong though.) 2 Reply @stevensarens7700 @stevensarens7700 1 year ago Good job. By the way, the "ei" in "Leipzig" is pronounced like the "y" in "sky" ;) 2 Reply @TheOpus480 @TheOpus480 4 years ago I was born the same day as Mendelssohn. 3rd of February. Lol i think. Don't hate me if im wrong. 6 Reply @deenagara9151 @deenagara9151 3 years ago (edited) His music & Gustav Mahler's music were ban during the Nazi era in Germany. Out of curiosity, are you going to cover on both Verdi and Wagner? My younger autistic brother loves both their music, especially the latter. 1 Reply @machinegurlll @machinegurlll 4 years ago you are SO cute omg. your eyes make me jealous, and you are very smart too. just found ur channel and i love you already. 2 Reply @marklambert4793 @marklambert4793 4 years ago Ah, the wonders and joys of parenthood. NAKED BABY! 👶 lol 😂 On a serious note 📝 His life sounds like it would make a beautiful film, or maybe even a mini series of some kind. At least as interesting as Mozart’s. 11 Reply @Amoreena51 @Amoreena51 3 years ago Wonderful information presented with such enthusiasm! (Just wish you could s-l-o-w down your presentations a tad, otherwise it is a bit breathlessly overwhelming.) 2 Reply @tvishta1 @tvishta1 3 years ago I am in luv ... 1 Reply @magmasunburst9331 @magmasunburst9331 1 year ago (edited) What if Jenny Lind loved him for the spirit of music that he embodied and other great qualities of a person? It would be nice to think that neither were adulteresses. 3 Reply @lelegurame @lelegurame 4 years ago He's also a student of the great German philosopher, G. W. F Hegel 3 Reply 1 reply @josephyap3198 @josephyap3198 4 years ago Can Alicia actually play piano? 3 Reply 1 reply @hannahkent4331 @hannahkent4331 2 years ago (edited) Goethe is pronounced "ger - tuh." Def not "goo - thay." Just say "ger - tuh" with a British accent and you'll be golden. 2 Reply @ralphmartynsamaniego7017 @ralphmartynsamaniego7017 3 years ago Brief History of Paganini! 2 Reply @apmasterl @apmasterl 4 years ago Can you cite the source please. I would like to learn more about felix 2 Reply @potatoaru12 @potatoaru12 4 years ago His violin concerto in e minor !! 1 Reply @ludovichergott325 @ludovichergott325 4 years ago Hello world 3 Reply @morningorangejuice @morningorangejuice 3 years ago You made it seem like her father was supportive. He actually sent her letters twice to not pursue it. 2 Reply @PianotvNet @PianotvNet 4 years ago [Editor here] For Cécile Charlotte Sophie Jeanrenaud's b-d it should be 1817 - 1853. Sorry about that! 4 Reply 1 reply @petermorgan768 @petermorgan768 4 years ago Von Goothey? lol 5 Reply @aydenpostigo2910 @aydenpostigo2910 4 years ago Mendelssohns story is here 4 Reply @PeterDobbing @PeterDobbing 2 years ago Von 'Goothay'!? 3 Reply 1 reply @anthonyholroyd5359 @anthonyholroyd5359 2 years ago The Scottish symphony was inspired by Mendelssohns time in England?? . . . Erm . . . No . . . He ventured considerably north of the English border for that one. 2 Reply @sachseco @sachseco 3 years ago pronunciation: Goethe (ger-teh), Moscheles (Moss-ske-leez), Cecile (say-seal), Leipzig (Lipe-zig). Also, your high speaking should be lower. Listen to the actress, Tallulah Bankhead! 6 Reply 3 replies @eckligt @eckligt 1 year ago Great content overall, but please check your pronunciation of German names. Here are some videos with the correct pronunciation: * von Goethe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sC-bjMO4_g * Leipzig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA4-fWX50L0 2 Reply @E39ENTHUSIAST90 @E39ENTHUSIAST90 3 years ago (edited) (/ˈlaɪpsɪɡ/. LEIPZIG. 1 Reply @Mongoose_man @Mongoose_man 4 months ago Idk why but I always thought Fanny Mendelssohn was Felix’s wife💀 1 Reply @michaeltheophilus5260 @michaeltheophilus5260 3 years ago Check your name pronunciations 4 Reply @AnaMaria-zs6hz @AnaMaria-zs6hz 1 year ago Talk to Fast lady 1 Reply @michaeltheophilus5260 @michaeltheophilus5260 3 years ago I despise Berlioz liszt and Chopin so I am in agreement with Mendelssohn 1 Reply @pedrolopezlopez457 @pedrolopezlopez457 4 years ago So you mean that Haendel and J. S. Bach were yesterday's trash? I just can't believe it... I do not use to comment on these kind of informative videos, which I normally find quite positive for a wider audience, but as a conductor and music history teacher I must ask you to be careful of what you say and how. 4 Reply 1 reply @pedrolopezlopez457 @pedrolopezlopez457 4 years ago I am sorry, Johann Wolfgang von... what? Goothe? "oe" is pronounced /uh/ in Dutch, not in German! In addition to that, "th" is not pronounced as the sound in "Martha", but rather a simple /t/. Regarding "von", it should be pronounced close to /fon/. Nobody would understand you in Europe, and you are just talking about the most revered writer in German language! 9 Reply 4 replies @LazlosPlane @LazlosPlane 2 years ago Goo-thay??? You lose credibility when you butcher great names like that. 4 Reply 1 reply @benflint @benflint 2 years ago (edited) Please LEARN HOW TO PRONOUNCE GOETHE!! I'm not even German speaker, but it offends my ears hearing you say it. 3 Reply 2 replies @johndean958 @johndean958 6 months ago sorry, but I wish you would slow down your commentary. It is just shocking. sorry again. 1 Reply @potatoaru12 @potatoaru12 4 years ago His violin concerto in e minor !! 1 Reply 1 reply Mendelssohn - a biography: his life and places (Documentary) opera-inside 2.53K subscribers Subscribe 57 Share Download Clip Save 3.5K views 1 year ago Felix Mendelssohn: a biography in words and pictures. The places where Mendelssohn worked and the most important people in his life (documentary). 00:00 Intro … 8 Comments rongmaw lin Add a comment... @lokmanmerican6889 @lokmanmerican6889 1 month ago Excellent. Useful information well presented. Reply @AntonioFormaro @AntonioFormaro 2 months ago Genio inconmensurable Reply @jerhannusloubscher1784 @jerhannusloubscher1784 7 months ago Great docu - pity about the irony of the hideous muzak in the background. 3 Reply 1 reply @ct92404 @ct92404 9 months ago Very well made biography! I've just recently become interested in classical music, and I'm currently reading a book about Felix Mendelsohn. Reply opera-inside · 1 reply @clariss3440 @clariss3440 4 months ago Thank you for this documentary, just listening and enjoying to “Songs without words Book VI, opus 67 and was interested in more of his background. Very helpful ❤ Reply opera-inside · 1 reply How Mendelssohn Brought Bach Back: Charles Rosen on The Bach Revival Simply Charly 1.67K subscribers Subscribe 701 Share Download Clip Save 18K views 3 years ago Widely regarded as one of the greatest classical composers of all time, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer, organist, and violinist. During his lifetime, he worked as a teacher and organist and was a prolific composer of choral works, concertos, and preludes. … 58 Comments rongmaw lin Add a comment... @johnwade7430 @johnwade7430 11 months ago Amazing - I did not realise that Rosen was such a great pianist in his own right. His memory is astonishing. 6 Reply @johnschlesinger2009 @johnschlesinger2009 2 years ago This is wonderful. I did not know that Charles Rosen had died, and am saddened. He had anrazor sharp intelligence, as this video shows. His voice will be missed by many, without doubt. 14 Reply @IbrahimHoldsForth @IbrahimHoldsForth 2 years ago (edited) Rosen is one of my favorite intellectuals. Supposedly he could not be turned off -- he was a spigot of erudite commentary on the arts, so much that he ruined at least one dinner party with his enthusiasm from the perspective of the host, a famous modernist composer. His appetite for the high arts was prodigious and his professorial but unpretentious commentary continue to edify. Sincerely looking forward to reading THE CLASSICAL STYLE one day. RIP sir! 29 Reply 3 replies @stargirl6659 @stargirl6659 2 years ago I could listen to this man talk about bach/music/composition/harmony for a long time. My ignorance is immense. 11 Reply @brianmoylan1671 @brianmoylan1671 2 years ago A first class mind and brillant educator. 20 Reply 1 reply @lorettaslovak7735 @lorettaslovak7735 2 years ago I learned more watching this video than I learned in6 years at Juilliard thank you so much for this illuminating presentation by Charles Rosen 16 Reply @StephiSensei26 @StephiSensei26 3 months ago I have just encountered this wonderful person and you say he is already gone from our world. I am heart broken. Such a fine teacher. thank you for this opportunity to have briefly met this wonderful person. 1 Reply @eckosters @eckosters 2 years ago I read quite a few articles by Charles Rosen in the NY Review of Books, but had never heard/seen him. Indeed, he lives up to his reputation. What a delight. 12 Reply @remsan03 @remsan03 2 years ago My mind's blown watching him talk and then demonstrating as if it was nothing. You don't just play Bach's complex Art of Fugue at a drop of a hat. It's unnatural. He must have had amazing memory. The note at the end made me sad. We no longer have a great musical mind like his, or Bernstein anymore. 15 Reply 1 reply @thethikboy @thethikboy 2 years ago I attended a private concert in Winnipeg where Rosen played the Hammerklavier. What an honor and delight. 1 Reply @DIYerGuy @DIYerGuy 7 months ago (edited) Wonderful. How sad that at a certain point such wonderful people such as Charles Rosen are gone. Thankfully, videos such as this one captures their brilliance and humanity to be seen later by others. Reply @danvitco771 @danvitco771 4 months ago Fantastic demonstration of Bach’s compositional genius. Reply @suzyserling277 @suzyserling277 2 years ago This is a wonderful document, so many interesting historical, technical facts given to us by a very knowledgeable and generous Charles Rosen!!. Excellent video!; thank you. 6 Reply @timbruer7318 @timbruer7318 2 years ago Thoroughly enjoyable and illuminating, I could listen to that for hours. RIP 1 Reply @1TimBaugh @1TimBaugh 4 months ago Wonderful video, many thanks. Reply @lindacowles756 @lindacowles756 2 years ago Very interesting. I learned several things from this very informative video. 6 Reply @GilbertoGuarino @GilbertoGuarino 2 years ago Outstanding! 2 Reply @jaikee9477 @jaikee9477 5 months ago Fantastic lecture, and it shows to which enormous extend Bach influenced all successive composers and western music in general. Reply @russellpascoe5431 @russellpascoe5431 4 months ago What a brain! Charles Rosen, lucidly Inhabits Bach's brain and shares his genius. One Genius communing with another. Reply @lchtrmn @lchtrmn 2 years ago What an amazing video - what an amazing mind. 1 Reply @mauritiusdunfagel9473 @mauritiusdunfagel9473 2 years ago It puts me in utter awe of the genius of Bach! And pisses me off at the same time! Reply @TheSutov @TheSutov 2 years ago This is wonderful, thanks a lot 1 Reply @tuchpongtulyayon6343 @tuchpongtulyayon6343 10 months ago (edited) I got to presume that this interview were made about the time Mr. Rosen wrote the book called "The Romantic Generation "(1995). I actually quit surprise to find a Video on YouTube when he talked, and played Bach, which in books written by him that i got. Mr Rosen only written always on Classical, and Romantic Composers. Reply @jimdawe4532 @jimdawe4532 2 years ago Brilliant! Reply @tortera @tortera 2 years ago Bravo! Reply @andrewashdown3541 @andrewashdown3541 2 years ago Riveting - I have long kept his apercus from The Classical Style to apply in all sorts of situations 2 Reply @lindacowles756 @lindacowles756 2 years ago Does anyone happen to know which portraits of Bach are authentic besides the Hausmann? I am referring to: 14:40 and 15:52. 1 Reply @alindmay @alindmay 12 days ago Charles rosen Reply @loge10 @loge10 2 years ago Incredibly interesting post, although the title is a bit misleading. Mendelssohn's involvement and bringing back to the public takes perhaps 30 seconds of the entire post. But Bach's importance as a pedagogue both in his lifetime and until Mendelssohn is quite remarkable and interesting 3 Reply 3 replies @grantmcmullan5593 @grantmcmullan5593 2 years ago What is the piece in the beginning? Reply 1 reply @777rogerf @777rogerf 7 months ago (edited) During his life, Bach was famous as a composer and virtuoso violinist and organist, then forgotten until his works were rediscovered and revived by Mendelssohn. Reply 1 reply @andrewanderson6121 @andrewanderson6121 4 months ago Following his performance of a cocerto the conductor (adolph busch--his father in law), the enthusiastic applause called for an encore. What shall I play he asked Busch. Play the The Goldberg Variations, was the reply (probably not serious) and he did! It is said that by the😅 end there were only a few people remaining, one of whom is said to have been Einstein. Reply @odunhops7727 @odunhops7727 1 year ago (edited) https://youtu.be/eSYZ0rXFrAQ @ 46:22 miinutes it gets interesting ....... Bartholdy also a great composer and "explorer" of this great composer "J.S. Bach!!!!!!!!!!!" This movie is very special! And ... it seems forbidden in germany - but friends from southamerice seems to share it. Reply @lroa6913 @lroa6913 2 years ago Bach es la forma en que Dios nos dice que el resto de humanos somos una criaturas miserables e insignificantes. Reply @Claude_van_Kloten @Claude_van_Kloten 2 years ago Help! I cannot listen to music and speech at the same time, especially when it’s Bach playing in the BACKGROUND. Something is wrong with my brain. 2 Reply 1 reply @stephenarnold6359 @stephenarnold6359 2 years ago Fascinating and enlightening. And yet despite his expository gifts Rosen as a pianist never quite convinces me. I know this is recorded near the end of his life but I find the same thing in recordings from his prime. There is something unfocussed in his playing. I don't mean I want him to play metronomically. But his rhythm is lax rather than flexible. Reply @bjrnsan3572 @bjrnsan3572 1 month ago Well, surely, God calls on us to participate in his everlasting art of… in time, Bach did ‘some work’ to project some of it, I believe… influenced by M Luther u.a., so this vid. is of high importance, educ. Reply @Jesuswinsbirdofmichigan @Jesuswinsbirdofmichigan 8 days ago Very good🇺🇸✡️✝️ Reply @giuseppelogiurato5718 @giuseppelogiurato5718 2 years ago Say it five times fast: "Brought back Bach" 🐓🐔🐓🐔🐣 ...Zack and Brock brought back Bach by buying sacks of stock in blocks of wax and chalk... 3 Reply @colettedubois-guerrier7276 @colettedubois-guerrier7276 2 years ago How Mendelsohn brought Bach back. .. : Charles Rosen (8/04/21) Reply 1 reply @steve29roses @steve29roses 7 months ago It is false that Bach was rediscovered Mendelssohn when BEETHOVEN wrote many fugues in his pieces and said "Bach is my daily meat." Reply @limoreperetzwoloshin8860 @limoreperetzwoloshin8860 2 years ago Very informative but it ruined my love of Bach. It is like teaching history as series of dates and people. Music is a highest art, not a series of technicalities Reply 4 replies Isaac Stern plays Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto- Allegro (clip) violinist102 1.01K subscribers Subscribe 1.1K Share Download Clip Save 349K views 15 years ago Isaac Stern plays Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor. Clip of first Mvt.- Allegro … 112 Comments rongmaw lin Add a comment... @darkgarb555 @darkgarb555 11 years ago I love the powerful feeling he brings into the piece 5 Reply @brucewilliamson7631 @brucewilliamson7631 10 years ago My private violin teacher took me back stage to meet him when I was in High School. I'll never forget what a kind man he was. He even gave me pointers on the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. 8 Reply 1 reply @bilderbergjapan @bilderbergjapan 13 years ago GREAT performance. 1 Reply @kattrakee @kattrakee 2 years ago (edited) Yes!!! I found it !! I’ve of been looking for Isaac Stern playing this piece for a long time !!! 😃🎵🎶🎵🎵🎶♥️ 1 Reply @noaTr @noaTr 13 years ago wow! when I was a child i heard it as a part of the story The poos in boots... so exiting to see Issac Stern plays. one and only 1 Reply @nessieness5433 @nessieness5433 8 years ago Straight to the soul, this is so rare! Thank you Mr Stern. 11 Reply 2 replies @sevcik2 @sevcik2 12 years ago What a great master....artist!! 1 Reply @nachosk8001 @nachosk8001 6 years ago weed + isaac stern = future philosopher 8 Reply @arturomorones6004 @arturomorones6004 1 year ago Sea cualquier época, autor o solista, que placer es escuchar esta bella música 1 Reply @user-dw9mz9ly6d @user-dw9mz9ly6d 11 years ago This is a delight! 1 Reply @herveprieur8238 @herveprieur8238 3 years ago Il y a quelques années, à New York, un flutiste passe un concours pour entrer dans l'orchestre dont Isaac Stern était le vrai patron qui décidait de qui pouvait intégrer l'orchestre et qui ne le pouvait pas. Le flûtiste en question réussit brillamment le concours et se retrouve devant Stern qui se penche sur l'épaule de cet homme qui m'a raconté cette histoire et dont le nom que j'ai oublié se terminait par deux "n" au lieu d'un seul . Stern se redresse, "...Vous n'êtes donc pas juif ?" Cet homme qui etait en train de signer fut recalé. Bien sûr cela est assez laid , et nombreux seront ceux qui doute ront de cette histoire que je rapporte avec regret, mais que je rapporte quand même. Stern est mon violoniste préféré, mais je sais par expérience familiale que l'on peut être un merveilleux artiste et être en même temps très douteux sur le plan humain. Chose étrange à priori, mais si on y pense assez longtemps en faisant l'effort de se libérer du preconcu romantique, cette belle idée sombre doucement. On peut être un bel artiste et avoir un pauvre coeur . 3 Reply @maxfanelli02 @maxfanelli02 10 years ago Sublime!! 3 Reply @SpanishEyedDesi @SpanishEyedDesi 14 years ago i met his son! his son is an AMAZINGGGGGGGGGG conductor! i did a side by side rehearsal with his orchestra, the Iris Chamber Orchestra. BEST rehearsal i have ever experienced. we worked on Mendelssohn Scottish Symphony Reply @Nguoiphuongnam338 @Nguoiphuongnam338 13 years ago wonderful bothe compositer and players ! I don't know how old and where I'm when listening to this ! Reply @nilroycabral5414 @nilroycabral5414 9 years ago Beatiful 2 Reply @ddewman @ddewman 11 years ago Amazing! When I saw him play at Queens College in the 70's it was life changing!! Reply @assindiastignani @assindiastignani 11 years ago You are entitled to your opinion & I understand what you say. From the late 60s on Stern became increasingly involved with other things & sat on boards of directors of arts councils,young artists programs,etc.where he did tremendous things for the arts in America - saving Carnegie Hall from destruction being among his greatest achievements. As a result he neglected his practicing. I too heard him play concerts that were a bit dicey BUT at his best (40s & 50s) he truly was a great violinist. 1 Reply @mayuoka1001 @mayuoka1001 15 years ago amazing video. Reply @yovni @yovni 13 years ago Incredible. It is like he is really ripping his shirt off to give us something extradordianry. I grew up with a recording of him and the Boston playing this piece. All other performances have always paled by comparison. The sweetness , the anger, the bliss, the depth and contrast of phrasing and richness of sound. Awesom . thanks for the post. Reply @leegeon2096 @leegeon2096 11 years ago Wonderful! 3:50 sounds like stern sing through violin 2 Reply @agnesgold5133 @agnesgold5133 3 years ago I love Mendelssohn 💜💜and Isaac plays it wow the best . Reply @246trinitrotoluene @246trinitrotoluene 14 years ago my favourite concerto to solo with an orchestra. Reply @renatocristiano2030 @renatocristiano2030 10 years ago Fantastico! Musica del paradiso! 1 Reply @me47244 @me47244 13 years ago fantastic- such sweet singing violin! Reply @hjlawdoc @hjlawdoc 9 years ago rich performance. 2 Reply @Shelldamage @Shelldamage 13 years ago So wonderfull ! Reply @assindiastignani @assindiastignani 12 years ago At his very best, Stern played so in tune it almost hurt. In the late 60's and early 70's he began getting more involved with other projests: saving Carnegie Hall(of which he later becam director or president) from destruction, helping young people, being on the boards of Arts Funding Foundations, and other assorted very noble things and it seemed he practiced less. But , it's all relative. A slightly "off" night for Stern would be a Gala Evening for anyone else. 1 Reply @guglielmiable @guglielmiable 11 years ago c'est tres beau !!!!! j'aime beaucoup cette interprétation. Reply @l56787 @l56787 12 years ago un regal Reply @elzbieta52 @elzbieta52 13 years ago What wonderful technique. Reply @frankcisyarmi @frankcisyarmi 13 years ago Hermosa version un placer grande Isaac Stern Reply @qxw66 @qxw66 13 years ago excellent! Reply @juangarese @juangarese 10 years ago Maravilloso el maestro Stern. Reply @profhennig @profhennig 6 years ago danke, super Reply @Burnsengine @Burnsengine 13 years ago amazing - thanks for the post! Reply @lesyaukrainka229 @lesyaukrainka229 6 years ago very nice music emotional and strong fulfilment Reply @val123k @val123k 14 years ago I love it Reply @leoncioviolin @leoncioviolin 11 years ago EXCELENTE!!! Reply @dmytropiano @dmytropiano 13 years ago Great! Reply @muitaloca @muitaloca 13 years ago Brilhante! Reply @iamemod @iamemod 14 years ago the beginning, but i think it's the clip quality. stern would never play out of tune. Reply @JAOYUI @JAOYUI 7 years ago Sehr gut! Reply @MrPutterify @MrPutterify 12 years ago I cant believe that he missed the shift to the fifth note, but still he was a legend! Reply @TheVottur @TheVottur 3 years ago 🥰👍 Reply @stradivari87 @stradivari87 15 years ago The Guarneri of Stern is the violin I love most. According to me is the perfect model for violin, along with that of Kogan (who is wonderful in the same way) ... Reply @user-xh2kj4ui4r @user-xh2kj4ui4r 9 months ago I would feel his articulation is so beautiful and superlative. I feel like Mendelssohn's particular of 1st movement rhythm is veryvery difficult. especially the length of dotted 4 note. Occasionally I would love to hear Isaac stern's playing with Philadelphia Ochestra by Ormandy (90yrs.Japanese) Reply @violinist102 @violinist102 15 years ago If i had the whole concerto i would have posted it. I had the second half but it didnt save properly so i couldn't post it. 2 Reply @sayanikaeya @sayanikaeya 12 years ago Very Good! the only thing is that he needs to push outwards with the bow in this video. But anyway, ISSAC STERN IS ONE OF THE GREATEST VIOLINISTS OF ALL TIME! 2 Reply @sijas @sijas 13 years ago @MrAnimeFreak777 i thought that at first too, but i think the whole video is just a bit sharp... 1 Reply @romfiddler @romfiddler 7 years ago В 1958 году А Стерн посетил Одессу , 2 концерта в здании филармонии прошли с большим успехом и запомнились публике тем , что его интерпретация знакомых произведений отличалась от " советских стандартов " . Стерн был приглашен в муз. школу им проф. Столярского , где дал шефский / бесплатный / концерт для ее учеников . После концерта он сфотографировался с преподавателями струнного отделения и пригласил их в ресторан на ужин . К сожалению , только один В З Мордкович осмелился придти на ужин , остальные побоялись возможных последствий от встречи в личку с американским гражданином. Любопытно , что эта фотография сыграла большую роль в жизни одного из преподавателей ,участника той встречи. Когда он через 25 лет эмигрировал в Соединенные Штаты ему понадобилась помощь т к по состоянию здоровья он не мог работать да и возраст его был пенсионным , жить ему было негде , а снимать квартиру не было средств. Друзья посоветовали ему написать Стерну о своем бедственном положении и напомнить о давнишнем знакомстве в Одессе , показав совместную фотографию. Так он и сделал. Через некоторое время этот бывший педагог школы Столярского был приглашен в Jewish Family Service где ему сообщили , что из офиса А Стерна /известного благотворителя / ими получено письмо с просьбой принять участие в его судьбе и оказать максимальное содействие в получении квартиры и пенсии , что и было неукоснительно сделано. такому просителю как Стерн никто не осмелился бы отказать 2 Reply @assindiastignani @assindiastignani 14 years ago His intonation is "fine."??? He'd be so flattered to hear you say that. Isaac Stern's intonation was so good it hurt. Reply @rbfalves @rbfalves 6 years ago curti!!! muito! Reply @twoblink @twoblink 10 years ago I'm going to go ahead and say that Stern played better than anybody that will be posting on this thread. I __WISH__ my good days were 1/10th this bad days. Just heard Perlman in concert last night. Amazing. 1 Reply @crazy77town @crazy77town 15 years ago at least a video with the whole concerto.... Reply @ffv45 @ffv45 12 years ago @violinist102 this is just simply the best version ever ! thank you soo much to sharing it ! but could you tell me where can i find the rest of it ? Reply @ddlargo69 @ddlargo69 13 years ago Stern is fantastic, but closely listen to the orchestra. They have a quality I haven't heard since I was a child! Reply @HerbertSchepers @HerbertSchepers 6 years ago wow Reply @violiu1 @violiu1 10 years ago Mendelssohn violin concerto has been played faster and faster. Heifetz played fast but beautifully, Stern played slow, but also beautifully. who's performance touched the soul, depends on who you are... 1 Reply @romfiddler @romfiddler 7 years ago В англоязычной среде STERN звучит как / стерн / с переводом на русский : суровый , непреклонный . На немецком , идиш / штерн / с переводом на русский: звезда .... Айзик Стерн, непреклонный , именно так вошел он в историю скрипичного искусства 20 века , как музыкант , на долю которого выпали необычайные сложности в творческой жизни от которых любой другой опустил бы руки , но только не он ! Все началось с того , что играть на скрипке он начал поздно , в 8 лет , когда его ровестники уже свободно играли популярный скрипичный репертуар. Обучение у Луиса Персингера , у которого примерно в это же время обучались Руджиеро Риччи /непревзойденный виртуоз / и Иегуди Менухин / непревзойденный музыкант / длилось недолго , т к " великий мастер вундеркиндов " не нашел его достаточно одаренным , и отказался от работы с ним . К счастью , концертмейстером оркестра в Сан Франциско в это время был Наум Блиндер, бывший концертмейстер симфонического оркестра г Одессы , который в 1932 году перебрался в Америку. Между Блиндером и юным Стерном сложились дужеские отношения , что способствовало его успехам в занятиях и быстрому прогрессы в творчестве. Наум Блиндер был очень мягким , интеллигентным человеком , большим знатоком психологии и продолжателем педагогических традиций Петра Столярскога , своего первого учителя. После нескольких лет тренинга у Блиндера упорный Айзик Стерн переехал в Нью Йорк и в 1937 году дал сольный концерт в Таун -Холле . В результате он получил разгромную статью в авторитетнейшей газете Нью Йорк Таймс за подписью критика Шотцинова / близкого родственника Яши Хейфеца / . Бедняга Стерн после этого почти сутки ездил по улицам города на крыше 2х этажного автобуса, стараясь снять стресс, и боясь возвращаться в гостиницу и ...не наделать глупостей . После продолжительного перерыва Стерну удалось познакомиться с могущественным антрепренером Солом / Соломоном / Юроком / выходцем из Харькова , который держал всю концертную деятельность Америки в своих руках . Несмотря на то , что критики характеризавали игру Стерна невысоко , Юрок дал ему возможность освоиться с концертной деятельностью в провинции и послал его в длительную командировку по городам Дальнего Запада , где требования были значительно ниже чем в Филадельфии . Бостоне и Чикаго , правда первая пробная поездка была согласована без гонорара , бесплатно , но неукротимый Стерн был согласен на все. Председатель еврейской общины Сан Франциско , протежировавшая Стерну , собрала значительную сумму и купила ему ценную скрипку , ее поступок был поворотным в его карьере , и послужил мощным мотиватором для всей его последующей жизни! 3 Reply @sballuk @sballuk 13 years ago @deRien815 And at the note at 5.43 - he's just giving it everything, laying into the note passionately. It's not the most clinically precise, but there's great spirit that loads of versions on youtube lack completely. I much prefer this to Mintz. Reply @246trinitrotoluene @246trinitrotoluene 13 years ago well there are other violins playing as well there is solo along with violin I, violin II, etc the violin II and 90% of the violin I part can be played by intermediate players... the solo is where the fun stuff is Reply @1171749wow @1171749wow 10 years ago 已是炉火纯青的境界了。包括和乐队配合。 Reply @JPLGaGa123 @JPLGaGa123 12 years ago @lerosalima So? Sir, we are watching and talking about Isaac Stern. Not Heifetz, both were great and were violinists beyond reproach. No need for comparisons of who plays more cleanly or has more skill and he learned this piece at age whatever. Stern and Heifetz were both wonderful and both very skilled at what they did. Reply @shmankersox @shmankersox 14 years ago where's the rest of it?! Reply @romfiddler @romfiddler 7 years ago Любопытная история из жизни А Стерна . Как то раз , во время концертирования в Москве он был приглашен на правительственный прием , где был представлен самому Н Хрущеву. Жизнерадостный Никита Сергеевич , узнав , что Стерн хорошо говорит по русски рассказал ему анекдот : Английский лорд ехал верхом на лошади в парламент , лошадь споткнулась . лорд упал и ударился головой о камень , его мозги выпали наружу , но он поднялся , отряхнулся сел на лошадь и ... поехал дальше . Удивленный слуга воскликнул : Господин , куда же вы едете без мозгов ?! Я еду в парламент , там мозги не нужны ! Ошеломленный А Стерн еще долго не мог придти в себя , но потом , через много лет , рассказал этот же анекдот в " Белом Доме " , куда был вхож , и , к его громадному удивлению , эта история там очень понравилась ! 2 Reply @TheThomasto123 @TheThomasto123 7 years ago First time hearing Stern and I must say he's always sharp and a mad slider. Why do people like him? ~I'm being honest I really want to know more about this violinist but I have no idea why there's an appeal to him 2 Reply @ffv45 @ffv45 12 years ago where to find the rest ? please ~~~~~~~~~ Reply @Zand3rsson @Zand3rsson 12 years ago Heifetz could play this when he was only seven years old. Reply @1hanamoon @1hanamoon 12 years ago i love marybeth Reply @deRien815 @deRien815 13 years ago Eventually I came to know why Stern's version is more impressive than Mintz...See how powerful he is in the 20 seconds from 5:31. He is fully devoted into the music and has no "selfish" reservations, i mean, he's a juggernaut squashing every technique difficulties and marching with great steps without looking down to the road... Reply @janethu9169 @janethu9169 4 years ago I saw him person in Yale campus in New Haven, Ct. many years ago when he was younger. He had black hair then. The ticket was about twelve dollars. It was enjoyable, many Yale people were there to watch. He was good. Reply @romfiddler @romfiddler 7 years ago К 80 годам прошлого века он, благодаря своим многочисленным друзьям , приобрел громадный авторитет в социальных и государственных структурах. Ни один из музыкантов не был приглашен в "Белый Дом " для приватных концертов чаще чем Стерн, после которых обязательно устраивались приемы , на которых , в дружеской беседе обсуждались важные вопросы международной жизни , и ко мнению Стерна , который везде бывал и всех знал очень внимательно прислушивались ! Стерн очень много сделал для привлечения молодых талантливыых музыкантов к высококлассному обучению в Джульярдской муз школе Йо-Йо-Ма, Ицхак Перлман, Пинхас Цукерман, Шломо Минц и другие с благодарностью вспоминают того, кто в нужный момент протянул им руку помощи. Поездка в Китай явилась вершиной его муз . политической карьеры . Фильм " Моцарт и Мао " смотрится с двойственным чувством , судите сами .... Все что не додала ему критика в период становления она с лихвой передала в зрелые годы . Иногда даже неудобно читать все эти восхваления , но сам А Стерн хорошо знал себе цену .- в своих мемуарах " мои первые 79 лет " он самокритично пишет , что не мог играть как Ойстрах и даже как некоторые его ученики . 2 Reply @Tokgabi @Tokgabi 12 years ago Fifth note was very out of tune. But I have a recording of him playing this Mendelssohn that I favor over almost all other Mendelssohn concerto versions. 1 Reply @assindiastignani @assindiastignani 13 years ago @jg33brunner Hi. I agree with you. I always loved Stern's recording of this piece, or any piece for that matter, but didin't he do it with Ormandy and Philadelphia? He was with Columbia, and Boston was at that time RCA...or am I wrong? Anyhow. I hope someone will re-issue his Beethoven Concerto with Bernstein and NY. Talk about cosmic!! Reply @musicsdarkangel @musicsdarkangel 13 years ago That other poster is right, he is often out of tune. He didn't have the intonation that say, Heifitz had. However, he had personality, and to most ears, that's what matter's most. To those of us that are tone-sensative or have acute pitch, our ears ruin the performance for us. Anyway, listen to Aaron Rosand's recording of this piece, you'll be blown away. Reply @romfiddler @romfiddler 7 years ago Особенностью музыкальной критики в США является "Ругательный " стиль написания рецензий . Чем больше недостатков и просчетов выявит критик в игре солиста ,тем более компетентным специалистом он считается. В эпоху активного концертирования Яши Хейфеца любой скрипач , появлявшийся на сцене , был обречен на сравнение с ним. "Болезнью Хейфеца " переболели все , но особенно досталось А Стерну . Беззащитный новичок воспринимался как мальчик для битья , критиков раздражало все . - его маленький рост , пухленькая фигура, неубедительная интерпретация классики , отсутствие вкуса , маленький звук, и конечно же , напоследок , сравнение с великим Хейфецем . Только к концу 40 годов А Стерна стали воспринимать как самостоятельного, серьезного музыканта . Активная концертная деятельность способствовала росту его популярности , особенно в послевоенной Европе и конечно , в Израиле , где он бывал по несколько раз в году. В 1956 году он впервые посетил Москву ,где был очень тепло принят публикой . В своих мемуарах Стерн пишет , как Д Ойстарх встретил его в вестибюле гостиницы с бутылкой шампанского и проявил максимум внимания и дружеского участия к его приезду и предстоящим концертам . Благодарный Стерн впоследствии писал , что Д Ойстраха он воспринимал , как своего старшего брата и всегда относился к нему с глубоким уважением и любовью. 2 Reply 1 reply @user-db9wk3nj5c @user-db9wk3nj5c 9 years ago 좋다 Reply 1 reply @violinmusicfan @violinmusicfan 14 years ago I dont think so. its not that uncommon for even world-class violinists to make small and random technical errors whether its being very slightly out of tune or briefly touching the other strings. Reply @JB-me8jp @JB-me8jp 1 year ago 1:14 Reply @Anklusos @Anklusos 10 years ago Calm down, man. I tune to 442, but I don't nerdrage at people who don't know a little nuance and difference of their playing to the standard.Someone whose ear is tuned to 440 has every right to say it's out of tune, since everything is relatively sharp or flat anyway. Reply @fifig10 @fifig10 13 years ago I think Stern would deliberately play the beginning of this "to known" concerto out of tune. That makes a stranger effect, but it changes the apparence of this concerto and gives to the concerto a new attraction. Reply @SomeAnimeOtaku @SomeAnimeOtaku 11 years ago @lerosalima JPLGaGa123 is right and he's not the only one who can play pieces like this (or even harder) around that age. Reply @kuvhlubkojibleegxwbo @kuvhlubkojibleegxwbo 14 years ago ohhh i'm so sorry, i didn't know that. Reply @Fireball128934675 @Fireball128934675 11 years ago Imagine him and William Kempf got together Reply @violinist102 @violinist102 14 years ago unfortunetly no, he passed away in 2001. Reply @Baytuch @Baytuch 13 years ago I think he's a bit on the sharp side in the beginning but otherwise good. 1 Reply @rowlus @rowlus 14 years ago you noticed that? XD Reply @kuvhlubkojibleegxwbo @kuvhlubkojibleegxwbo 14 years ago not to be mean, but i want to know, is he still alive . Reply @MrPaulDbx @MrPaulDbx 13 years ago @kuvhlubkojibleegxwbo Désolé de vous décevoir mais il est décédé le 22/10/2001 à New York mais son geste et sa maturité restera parmi nous Reply @lindavos1 @lindavos1 13 years ago Is the Amsterdam Cencertgebouw orchestra I guess. At least they are playing in the building... Reply 2 replies @Chessmapling @Chessmapling 12 years ago @Baileathacliath666 i know u posted this 2 months ago but i sort of disagree. i think all famous musicians have good ears because its extremely hard to play any instrument without an ear. how would they know if they were in tune or not? there have been cases where violinists are playing and then suddenly one string gets out of tune. but because they have a good ear...they can adjust their fingerings to match the out-of-tune string, thus still producing a good note Reply @user-hl3pc5ts6m @user-hl3pc5ts6m 1 year ago Anyway I would like to say this Mendelssohn is the best, next to Jascha Heifetz. 1 Reply @--Artur-- @--Artur-- 13 years ago @MrAnimeFreak777 Well it MAY be caused by quality of the video (its hard to belive that not just the viollinist but Stern was out of tune) Reply @daniluzzu @daniluzzu 12 years ago @MrAnimeFreak777 Wow....go figure what's in your mind if you come here and note, out of an overwhelmingly beautiful, passionate and masterful performance (and with no cuts), that he was out of tune.....shame Reply @anutamiro @anutamiro 12 years ago @MrAnimeFreak777 yes, he is out of tune, but it does not make it any less great, because the purpose of music, to express their soul, and not to get in tune Reply @elzbieta52 @elzbieta52 13 years ago @kuvhlubkojibleegxwbo No he is not. Reply @winrx @winrx 8 years ago Is it just me or does he always seem to play a little sharp? So disconcerting to my ears....... 1 Reply @parcerias.vitacon @parcerias.vitacon 13 years ago ai meu ouvido! lá "sustenido"? :S Isaac Stern é mestre, mas é falho tbm... Reply @hedgeclipper418 @hedgeclipper418 7 years ago why the fuck did it cut out at the end holy shit what a fucking buzzkill Reply @ilviolinista @ilviolinista 14 years ago Un gran y valeroso interprete de esta obra maestra, con un sonido inigualable. Es su intrepretacion de este concierto la que mas me gusta. Gracias por subirlo. Reply @CihadSert0614 @CihadSert0614 4 years ago Noobs Reply @violinoamore @violinoamore 13 years ago Oh my, the beginning was so much out of tune :( Reply @RaineriHakkarainen @RaineriHakkarainen 11 years ago isaac stern is the most overrated violin in history.Big concertos need to play monumental style stern is lazy slow no flash and sparkle. he take 70 percent all the ticket money as soloist. he was overpaid like ann sophie mutter 1 Reply Yehudi Menuhin plays Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (1938) Martin Adler 1.29K subscribers Subscribe 204 Share Download Clip Save 16,320 views Jun 26, 2012 "But we shall all turn eagerly to hear Menuhin in his rendering of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, nor shall we be disappointed. His gifts, matured by rest and experience, may be appreciated to the full in this Concerto, which in album form is D.B. 3555-8. [...] The Orchestra of the Concerts Colonne is employed under Georges Enesco, and it is interesting to compare this buoyant and youthful performance of Menuhin with the methods of Kreisler in the same Concerto." - Catholic Herald, 9 December 1938 French 78 rpm records from late 1930s. Recorded 2 May 1938. Disque "Gramophone". HMV. Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999), violin. Georges Enesco (1881-1955), conductor. Orchestre des Concerts Colonne. DB-3555-8 - Mendelssohn Concerto en Mi mineur, Op. 64 Transferred from the original 78 rpm records at 45 rpm with a standard USB turntable equipped with special needle. Postprocessing in Audacity (inverse RIAA equalisation, speeding up to 78 rpm, DC correction, 24 dB low pass filter above 8 kHz, 24 dB high pass filter below 20 Hz, auto click removal, mono conversion, Normalisation to -1 dB). Martin Adler 1.29K subscribers Videos About 28 Comments rongmaw lin Add a comment... @winglow7615 @winglow7615 5 years ago This recording is probably the best among many of Menuhin's recordings of this piece. First, his teacher, Enesco was conducting, which demanded utmost attention. Second, he was not being influenced by Hollywood or commercial interests as in later years. Third, he was healthy. This recording has the proper tempo. 5 Reply 1 reply @martincook318 @martincook318 5 months ago (edited) Having been a Collector and Admirer of the late Yehudi Menuhin and I've been Collecting his Records for over forty years I've got a Mint Pre war 78rpm Record set on Coloured labels on three out of the four Records in the Pre war 78rpm Record album and the fourth on Monochrome Record Numbers DB-3555 DB-3558 and that Record set is so Rare Because the Recording was made on Monday May 2nd 1938 but wasn't Published till November 1939 and we were at war with Germany in 1939 a war that was to last till 1945 and this Performance is as good as his later 1958 Published 1959 Recording ASD-334 Reply @gerardbedecarter @gerardbedecarter 11 years ago A beautiful, musical performance.So much better that the over fast performances we sometimes hear. A lovely recorded sound, too. Thanks, Martin! 1 Reply @ZJStrudwick @ZJStrudwick 3 years ago Recorded exactly 60 years before my birthday on 2nd may 1998 :) Reply @fairlytaleofnewyork @fairlytaleofnewyork 8 years ago Thank you so much for posting this historical gem. I adore Menuhin since my childhood and I am so happy to have found this recording. 3 Reply Martin Adler · 1 reply @Taneyev @Taneyev 11 years ago Between 1928 and, say, the end of the 40s., Menuhin was one of the greatest violinists alive. All his young recordings are just a marvel and should be on the collection of every violin fan. Thank you, Martin, because I hadn't this. 2 Reply 1 reply @MrGer2295 @MrGer2295 5 years ago Beautiful ! Happy and prosperous New Year 2018 ! Greetings from Philippines ! 1 Reply @user-fz9jw1dg6v @user-fz9jw1dg6v 7 years ago Very fantastic 1 Reply @liudmilazhitmareva4939 @liudmilazhitmareva4939 7 years ago Господи! Как красиво!!! Reply @martinadler73 @martinadler73 11 years ago It must have been very inspiring for both pupil and teacher (Menuhin and Enesco) to perform this piece together. 1 Reply @TrollMeister_ @TrollMeister_ 1 year ago The background noise sounds great. Just like how music was meant to sound. Reply @martinadler73 @martinadler73 10 years ago Guten Tag, Nosh! This is one of my earlier transfers. I guess today I would be able to preserve more of the original sound. Maybe I will attempt this one day. Reply @tozo073 @tozo073 4 years ago Романтично, дивно. Reply @martinadler73 @martinadler73 11 years ago Glad you like it! Reply @luisinhomiranda5058 @luisinhomiranda5058 5 years ago Una joya. Reply @martinadler73 @martinadler73 10 years ago Many thanks, Tibor, for those interesting details. I should maybe reprocess my raw transfer of this record with my current much better method, This recording should be worth it. Reply @hotchameanshotcha @hotchameanshotcha 8 years ago thank you for info about your audacity processing. will try this out with my Technics. First version I did was just record and speed it up, the signal was very weak, more noise than violin. Reply Martin Adler · 1 reply @spiffnoblade7731 @spiffnoblade7731 4 months ago 1st movement , allegro molto appassionato: 0:00 2nd movement , andante: 11:58 3nd movement , allegro molto vivace: 20:25 Reply @Taneyev @Taneyev 9 years ago ¿Do you have on your collection young Menuhin's recording of Mendelssohn's D minor concerto? Reply Martin Adler · 1 reply @MrKlemps @MrKlemps 7 years ago Wonderful to hear the full bloom of Menuhin's tone here, the sound we heard only in "shreds and patches" in the major part of his adult career from the '50's through the '80's. The tempo allows for great flexibility yet control in the phrasing. A wonderful recording with Menuhin's mentor, Enescu, conduting. 2 Reply @TiborSzasz48 @TiborSzasz48 10 years ago I heard Menuhin live when he could barely hold the bow in his hands. Yet he still had such a power of projection that after the first half phrase of the Franck Sonata, the audience literally stopped breathing. I also met him personally at the Bartók Centennial in 1981 in Detroit, Michigan. He was a pupil of Enesco, and that shows in everything he did -- Enesco was the greatest poet of the violin according to Dohnányi. And Menuhin did learn from Enesco the thousand different ways to do vibrato. 4 Reply 1 reply @gianlucalav @gianlucalav 3 years ago Very beautiful interpretation, surely though influenced by Heifetz tempos, but with Yehudi cantabile mood. I prefer the Wanda Luzzato performances of 1960 and 1970 (Rhine Classics box), more flexible, with much variety on many phrases. Reply