Research topic: Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn (Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn) , 1809-47, German composer; grandson of the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn . Mendelssohn was one of the major figures in 19th-century music. His father, Abraham, upon conversion to Christianity, changed his surname to Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, a seldom-used form. A prodigy, reared in a highly cultured atmosphere, the young Felix presented his orchestral compositions to illustrious audiences at the family estate. His first mature work, the Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, was composed at 17, and he showed similar precocity at... Read more