Robert Schumann considered Mendelssohn to be the Mozart of the 19th century, and Goethe even thought Mozart's youthful works were like 'babies' chatter' compared to Mendelssohn's.
Compositional Technique
Mendelssohn's chorale cantata 'Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten' features Georg Neumark's famous 1657 chorale melody in the bass voice, rather than the upper voice.
Composer Biography
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, a child prodigy from a wealthy background, grew up in Berlin and composed songs, small string symphonies, and short operas for weekly concerts at his home from age eleven.
Composition History
Mendelssohn's 1st Symphony had its first performance at a private party in the Mendelssohn home in 1824, in honor of his sister Fanny's birthday.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mendelssohn's teacher, Carl Friedrich Zelter, and Mendelssohn himself found Bach and Handel to be shining examples for an idealistic and pure style of church music.
Performer Biography
Nanette Mans, the soprano on this recording, trained under Henk Neven at Codarts and has recently made her solo debut in Italy and Germany.
Cultural Impact
At age nineteen, Mendelssohn revived Bach's St Matthew Passion a century after its premiere, initiating the ongoing Bach revival and the tradition of its yearly performance in Leipzig's Thomaskirche.
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Mendelssohn, Felix: Wer Nur Den Lieben Gott Lasst Walten / Kyrie in C Minor / Sinfonia No. 3
