Felix Mendelssohn was considered the most precociously gifted composer ever, composing his String Octet at age sixteen and excelling as a violinist, pianist, athlete, poet, linguist, watercolorist, and philosopher.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mendelssohn believed that the thoughts expressed in music were "too definite" to be put into words, indicating his view on music's unique expressive power.
Critical Reception
Despite over 100 lieder, 13 vocal duets, and 60 part-songs surviving, Mendelssohn's vocal works are rarely performed in concert halls, often sidelined in favor of other Romantic composers.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mendelssohn's songs were primarily intended for private enjoyment at home around a piano, rather than for public scrutiny in a concert hall.
Composer Biography
Felix Mendelssohn's sister, Fanny Mendelssohn, was a talented musician whose premature death in 1847 deeply affected him, leading to his own death a few months later.
Composition History
Fanny Mendelssohn, Felix's sister, composed six of the twenty-four songs published as Opp 8 and 9, a significant achievement for a female composer at a time when they were often considered 'amateur'.
Composition History
The song "Altdeutsches Frühlingslied" (Old German Spring Song) is Felix Mendelssohn's last completed composition, finished less than a month before his death in 1847.
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