Introduction

Die beiden Neffen oder Der Onkel aus Boston (The Two Nephews, or The Uncle from Boston), MWV L4, Act I: Overture (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: Bach-Collegium Stuttgart

Conductor: Helmuth Rilling

Der Onkel aus Boston ('The Uncle from Boston'), a three-act dramatic work by Felix Mendelssohn, begun in May 1822 and completed in November 1823…

6 Kinderstücke (6 Children's Pieces), Op. 72, "Christmas Pieces": No. 1. Allegro non troppo, MWV U171

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Performer: Benjamin Frith

An extract from Mendelssohn's piano collection Kinderstücke ('Children's Pieces'), published after the composer' death in 1847…

Lied zum Geburtstag meines guten Vaters, MWV K1

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Performer: Robin Tritschler, Malcolm Martineau

By his early teens, Mendelssohn had already acquired an impressive portfolio of musical compositions across a range of genres: chamber music, psalm settings, string sinfonias and keyboard works…

String Octet in E-Flat Major, Op. 20, MWV R20: III. Scherzo: Allegro leggierissimo (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: Kodály Quartet, Auer String Quartet

A similar musical atmosphere was created in the second of Mendelssohn's towering early works: his Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, finished in early August 1826 and, like the Octet…

A Midsummer Night's Dream Overture, Op. 21, MWV P3 (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor: Anthony Bramall

The period also witnessed the intensification of Mendelssohn's historical interest in earlier styles, particularly sacred vocal music…

Hora est, MWV B18: Hora est

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: Kammerchor Stuttgart

Performer: Sonntraud Engels-Benz

Conductor: Frieder Bernius

1829 saw the beginning of Mendelssohn's Grand Tour of Europe, a series of excursions that took the composer north to Scotland and south to Italy…

The Hebrides in D Major, Op. 26, MWV P7, "Fingal's Cave" (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor: Oliver von Dohnányi

At the home of a wealthy mine owner in north Wales, the next stop in his tour, Mendelssohn first contemplated a large-scale orchestral work now known as the Reformation Symphony…

Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90, MWV N16, "Italian": IV. Saltarello: Presto (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland

Conductor: Reinhard Seifried

The second opportunity to present itself on Mendelssohn's return to Berlin, following his European tour, was the directorship of the 15th Niederrheinisches Musikfest…

Overture in C Major, Op. 101, MWV P2, "Trumpet" (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

Conductor: Neville Marriner

The success of Mendelssohn's directorship of the Düsseldorf festival – to one commentator, 'the greatest public success that he had yet had in Germany'…

Paulus (St. Paul), Op. 36, MWV A14, Part II: How Lovely are the Messengers (Sung in English) (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir, Lay Clerks St Albans Cathedral Choir

Performer: Peter Holder

Conductor: Tom Winpenny

Roughly one month earlier, the 9th of September 1836, Mendelssohn had become engaged to Cécile Jeanrenaud…

3 Motets, Op. 39: No. 1. Veni, Domine (Hear my prayer, O Lord), MWV B24 (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: St Albans Cathedral Girls Choir

Performer: Peter Holder

Conductor: Tom Winpenny

The next few years in Leipzig witnessed the completion of Mendelssohn's String Quartets Op. 44, his Piano Trio in D minor, the Overture 'Ruy Blas'…

Organ Sonata in C Minor, Op. 65, No. 2, MWV W57: II. Allegro maestoso e vivace (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Performer: Stephen Tharp

It is easy to forget that, while Mendelssohn was most famous during his lifetime as a composer, conductor and virtuoso pianist, his skills extended to the organ…

Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, MWV O14: III. Allegro molto vivace (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra

Performer: Takako Nishizaki

Conductor: Kenneth Jean

Hear My Prayer, a short standalone piece of sacred choral music also composed in 1844, cannot be described as a masterpiece…

Hear My Prayer, WoO 15, MWV B49 (version for voice and organ) (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Performer: Laura Hicks, Peter Holder

Conductor: Tom Winpenny

Ten years after the premiere of St. Paul, Mendelssohn turned his attention once again to the genre of the oratorio: the result was Elijah…

Elijah, Op. 70, MWV A25, Part II: Alsdann wird euer Licht hervorbrechen (And then shall Your light break forth) (excerpt)

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Ensemble: MDR Rundfunkchor, MDR Sinfonieorchester

Conductor: Jun Märkl

Mendelssohn died on the 4th of November 1847 following a series of strokes…

Lieder ohne Worte (Songs without Words), Book 5, Op. 62: No. 28 in G Major, Op. 62, No. 4, MWV U175

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn

Performer: Péter Nagy