Mendelssohn Life and Musical Career Flashcards
Birth and Death Dates
1809 - 1847
Born where to what kind of family
Hamburg, Germany, into a Jewish family of intellectuals and musicians (grandfather was rabbi and philosopher and father was a merchant banker). One of four children, older sister Fanny was a talented pianist and composer.
When did he start studying piano and music theory
At age 7 with pianist Marie Bigot in Paris, and age 10 with Carl Friedrich Zelter, director of the Berlin Singakdemie
Composed what in his teens
Earliest masterpieces, including Octet for Strings and Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Began studies in ___ with renowned German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel at the University of Berlin
Law (and aesthetics)
Organized a historic revival of ___
J.S. Bach`s St. Matthew Passion (first performance since Bach’s death)
Traveled frequently to the British Isles, Austria, Italy;
many compositions were inspired by landscapes and regional songs and dances of these countries
Appointed director of music where and for how long
Director of music in Dusseldorf for 3 years
Became conductor of ___ ___ orchestra for how long
Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestra until 1846
Married who
Cecile Jeanrenaud in 1837 (had 5 children too)
Appointed ___ ___ in Berlin but continued to ___ in Leipzig
Royal Kapellmeister; conduct (divided time between both cities)
How successful was his career
He was in great demand as a conductor - championed both historic and contemporary works (Queen Victoria even invited him to Buckingham Palace in 1842)
Founded what
Leipzig Conservatory
How did he die
Sudden death of his sister was extremely traumatic; died a few months later after a series of strokes
