Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was born in Hamburg on February 3, 1809 and died in Leipzig on November 4, 1847. Felix's sister, that Fanny Mendelssohn was born in 1805. Like Felix, Fanny Mendelssohn is also a composer. Felix's sister was born in 1811, named Rebecca, and then in 1812, Paul Mendelssohn. Mendelssohn is a brilliant composer who had started work since he was 11 years old. During his life, which is only 38 years creating a large number of works of Mendelssohn and a boon to the world of music.


Childhood (1809-1824)

Because the French occupied Hamburg, in 1811 the Mendelssohn family moved to Berlin, where Felix Mendelssohn's grandmother lived. In Berlin Felix and Fanny got a musical education from their mother, who became the pupil Johann Philipp Kirnbergers who studied music Johann Sebastian Bach. 1816, Fanny and Felix visit to Paris and received music lessons from Madame Bigot. After returning to Berlin, the two sisters studied composition and piano playing.

Felix Mendelssohn appeared in public for the first time at age nine, that is by playing the piano in chamber music concerts or chamber music, dated October 24, 1818. In April 1819 she appeared as a singer in the singing school Sing-Akademie in Berlin. In 1820, when she was just 11 years, Felix Mendelsohn began to make the composition.section. The works were then followed by the larger works in 1821.

1821, at the age of 12 years of Mendelssohn for the first time met with the celebrated German writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). He was staying at the home of Goethe in Weimar for 16 days. Meeting with Goethe's very impressive to Mendelssohn, and the beginning of their friendship. Mendelssohn in 1822 is much more productive than in previous years. As a child, Felix Mendelssohn and his brothers always held a small show home at their parents, every Sunday morning. Felix became the leader, while Fanny plays the piano, singing Rebecca and Paul plays the cello. Felix also wrote short works for this opportunity.

Adolescence (1825-1829)

1825, Felix joined his father, Abraham Mendelssohn to Paris. In the great city he became acquainted with the two leading composers of his era, namely Rossini and Meyerbeer. He also became acquainted with the composer Luigi Cherubini, who admired his talent. But from his letters seem obvious, that Felix does not like classical music of France, but he began his friendship with some people, who had been building for years.

Month May 1825 Felix returned to Berlin with his father. On the way home he stopped at Weimar and Goethe visited a second time. In Goethe's house he plays in his work entitled Quartett b-Moll, who dihadiahkannya to Goethe. After arriving back in Berlin, Abraham Mendelssohn took his family moved to the big old house on the street Leipziger Straße in Berlin. In this house for the first time played the first part (Ouvertüre) from the works of Felix Mendelssohn, entitled Sommernachtstraum, or dream of a summer evening, the comedy-drama based on the work of English poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616), entitled A Midsummer Night's Dream. This composition is the work of Mendelssohn's most famous in the world. Composition scores are marked with the inscription dated "Berlin, August 6, 1826". At the time of making the composition of this amazing Felix Mendelssohn was just 17 years old.

In addition to writing works of music, Mendelssohn is also enrolled at the University of Berlin. He among others attending the famous philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. In addition, Mendelssohn also founded a choir that specifically studied and mempagelarkan works Johann Sebastian Bach. Before revived by Mendelssohn, the works of famous German composers are virtually unknown in his own country.

First Concert Travel (1829-1832)

Felix Mendelssohn April 1829 for the first time a trip to London, where he was greeted with enthusiasm. His first public appearance in Britain is in a Philharmonic Society concert orchestra, where he acted as a conductor. Dated June 25, 1829 he played for the first time in England Ouvertüre from Sommernachtstraum. After the concert, Mendelssohn inadvertently leaving scores of his work was in a hackney coach. Upon returning home, he wrote back to work and produce the perfect coffee, entirely from memory.

After a series of concerts, Mendelssohn went on a trip to Scotland, where he gained inspiration for his work entitled Hebriden-Ouvertüre and Schottische Sinfonie or Scottish Symphony. End of November 1829 he returned to Berlin. In May of 1830 Mendelssohn traveled to Italy. On his way he stopped two weeks and visited Goethe in Weimar.

On the way home from Rome, in October 1831 he was stopped at Munich, where he wrote a piece for piano entitled Klavierkonzert g-Moll. After a stopover in Stuttgart, Frankfurt am Main and Düsseldorf, finally Mendelssohn went to Paris and met people he knew during his visit in 1825. When that it is closely connected with two other leading composers of Europe, namely Franz Liszt and Frédéric Chopin. Dated February 19, 1832 the first part Sommernachtstraum and numerous other works displayed in the building Conservatoire. But not all his work was warmly received. Is then forced to cut short his trip because he had contracted the disease Cholera. March 1832 Mendelssohn returned to Berlin.

Mendelssohn recovered from cholera in a short time. Dated 23 April 1832 he traveled again to London. He led a number of concerts and publish the first part of his song collection Lieder ohne Worte entitled or songs without words. In July 1832 he returned to Berlin.

Period 1832-1835

Felix Mendelssohn decided to not work is fixed in any position for several years. Early in 1833 he again visited London. This time he led a concert of his work, entitled Italienische Sinfonie or Italian Symphony. Dated May 26, 1833 he played the work in the music festival in the city of Düsseldorf, Niederrheinisches Musikfest. The concert was very successful, so that the government of Düsseldorf immediately offered the position of music director of the city. The position includes a number of tasks, which leads the largest church in all of music, in theater and in two theaters.

Before taking that position, Mendelssohn's visit to London with his father, and returned to Düsseldorf dated September 27, 1833. His work in churches and concert halls went well, but its relationship with the theater manager is not running smoothly. The possibility for that reason prefers Mendelssohn later church music than opera. In Düsseldorf he began writing the first work of religiously aggravated with the title of Paul's oratory, which tells the life of the apostle Paul. The position of music director in Düsseldorf may be retained longer, if only she had not received an offer to become the leader remained in Leipzig Gewandhaus concert hall.

Leipzig (1835-1841)

August 1835 Mendelssohn moved to Leipzig, and led the first concert on October 4, which plays a work titled Meeresstille und Glückliche Fahrt or calm sea and a happy trip. Compared to other works, these compositions are now less favored people. Concerts at the Gewandhaus received extraordinary praise, so he received an award in the field of philosophy honoris causa March 20, 1836.

Year 1837 is very happy to Felix Mendelssohn. March 28, 1837 he married Cécile Charlotte Sophie Jeanrenaud. He became acquainted with Cécile in Frankfurt am Main during the summer of 1836. From his marriage Mendelssohn had five children. The days have long passed her honeymoon when she got a call back to England, where he should lead the concert Paul's Oratory in Birmingham music festival. In the course of this time he played the organ at St.. Paul and Christ Church. With his game, he invested a great influence on the organic-organic UK. In England he began to plan the next oratory, called Elias.

Last Years at Leipzig

Mendelssohn workspace at his home in LeipzigBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Workspaces Mendelssohn at his home in Leipzig

1843 Mendelssohn founded the first music high school in Germany, at the Leipzig Conservatory, which opened April 3 at the Gewandhaus concert halls. In the same year he was made honorary citizens of the city of Leipzig. In 1844 he led a number of symphony concerts in London and plays music from his work Sommernachtstraum.

After a brief visit to Frankfurt am Main, September 1845 Mendelssohn returned to Leipzig. He re-run the job and taught music in high school. Dated August 26, 1846 his work at the festival dipagelarkan Elias Oratory Birmingham and got a very enthusiastic reception. He returned to Leipzig and back to work as usual. But his health began to fail. Mendelssohn in 1847 traveled to ten and the latter to England, which is to lead the game Elias Oratorim at Exeter Hall, in Manchester and Birmingham.

After returning from England, news of her sister Fanny became heavy blow to Felix Mendelssohn. He withdrew from the general public, as well as a vacation for months in Switzerland and South Germany. October 28, he suffered a stroke in Leipzig. After the second stroke on November 3, Mendelssohn was in a coma and died a day later, at the age of 38 years. His home on the road Goldschmidtstraße 12 is now a museum in Leipzig Mendelssohn-Haus, and became one of the historic sites in Germany.