Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 2 & Symphony No. 1

Featuring

Pablo Heras-Casado
Kristian Bezuidenhout
Freiburger Barockorchester
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

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Composition History

Mendelssohn's Symphony in C minor, his first for full orchestra, was composed in March 1824 and first performed privately for his sister Fanny's 19th birthday.

Notable Performances

Mendelssohn's debut at the Philharmonic Society of London on May 25, 1829, where he conducted his Symphony in C minor, marked the beginning of his long association with Britain.

Composer Biography

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy came from an affluent and cultured family; his father was a prominent banker and his grandfather, Moses Mendelssohn, was a leading philosopher of the German Enlightenment.

Composition History

Mendelssohn considered his Overture to 'The Fair Melusine' (Die schöne Melusine), commissioned by the Philharmonic Society of London, to be one of his most accomplished compositions after a thorough revision.

Instruments

Kristian Bezuidenhout, the fortepiano soloist, performs on an Érard fortepiano from Paris, 1837, which is part of the Edwin Beunk Collection.

Composition History

Mendelssohn's teacher, Carl Friedrich Zelter, a friend of Goethe, declared Felix a 'peer' rather than a 'pupil' on his 15th birthday, after he performed his fourth opera.

Composition History

Mendelssohn's Second Piano Concerto was commissioned by the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival, where he premiered it on September 20, 1837, also participating as organist, pianist, and conductor.