The 'Lobgesang' was premiered at a grand concert in Bach's church, the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, as part of the Gutenberg anniversary celebrations.
Compositional Technique
Mendelssohn's 'Lobgesang' is also known as his Symphony No. 2, but the composer himself called it a 'symphony-cantata' due to its extended choral ending.
Composition History
Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 2, 'Lobgesang' (Hymn of Praise), was composed for the 400th anniversary of Johannes Gutenberg's invention of printing with movable type.
Compositional Technique
The work opens with a bold motto theme intoned by trombones, which Mendelssohn had previously used in a setting of Psalm 42, and versions of which were also used by Bach and Mozart in his 'Jupiter' Symphony.
Performer Biography
Sir John Eliot Gardiner, the conductor on this album, is the founder and artistic director of three ensembles: the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists, and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique.
Composer Biography
Felix Mendelssohn was the grandson of Enlightenment philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and the son of an influential German banker, born into a privileged family.
Composer Biography
Mendelssohn's family home in Berlin was a hub for scholars, artists, writers, and musicians, including philosopher Hegel and scientist Humboldt, where his early works were performed.
