Felix Mendelssohn

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the life of the early romantic composer, Felix Mendelssohn. The paper gives a short biography of his life, concluding with his death at age thirty eight. The paper discusses Mendelssohn's Jewish heritage. It then spends some time discussing his musical style, symphonies, piano and choral music. The paper concludes that Mendelssohn artfully combined the older classical style with newer romantic ideas regarding composition, and thereby gracefully bridged these dramatic musical changes.

Table of Contents:
Short Biography
Jewish Heritage
Musical Style
Symphonies
Piano Music
Choral Music
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"This blending of Classical with Romantic effects is particularly noticeable in "Elijah," the story of a prophet from the Old Testament. The oratorio is full of intensely emotional and potentially disturbing scenes, such as the chorus fervently calling for Baal to accept their pagan offering and set it ablaze. Other sections reassure the despairing Elijah that God will not let him drift off into sleep because he needs Elijah to watch over Israel. In a music soothing and reassuring, the chorus tells the audience that Elijah will "slumber not, nor sleep." He will continue to prophesize and help them to the right path. At the end of the piece, God takes Elijah to Heaven in a fiery chariot. The accompanying music provides images of lightning, with the chorus providing "stormy rhythms and drawn-out cries.""

Sample of Sources Used:

• Conway, David. 2003. "In the Midst of Many Peoples' - Some Nineteenth-Century Jewish Composers and Their Jewishness." European Judaism, Vol. 36.
• Grout, Jay, and Palisca, Claude V. A History of Western Music. W. W. Norton, 2001.
• Jacob, Heinrich Eduard; Winston, Clara, and Winston, Richard. Felix Mendelssohn and His Times. Prentice-Hall, 1963.
• Sadie, Stanley. "Felix Mendelssohn," in The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. Macmillan Press Ltd., London, 1994. Accessed via the Internet 3/21/06. <http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/mendelssohn.html>
• Todd, R. Larry. Mendelssohn: A Life in Music. Oxford University Press, 2003.

More papers on Felix Mendelssohn:

• Term Paper # 141215 : "Felix Mendelssohn and His Masterpiece"
• Comparison Essay # 129345 : "Mendelssohn and Hobbes on Natural Rights"
• Comparison Essay # 99250 : "Mendelssohn and Hobbes"

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