Mendelssohn

(1) (Jakob Ludwig) (rightly Mendel ohn-Bartholdy) (mén’-d’l-z6n-biar-tél’-dé), Hamburg, Feb. 3, 1809—Leipzig, Nov. 4, 1847; eminent composer of remarkably early maturity. Great grandson of a Jewish sch.-master, Mendel, who adopted Christianity and had his children reared in the Christian faith; grandson of the prominent philosopher Moses: son of the banker Abraham M. Pf.-pupil of his mother, Lea Salomon-Bartholdy, as was also his elder sister Fanny (v. HENSEL). The family-life of the Mendel ohns is almost unique in history for its happine and mutual devotion. M. studied also with L. Berger, Zelter (theory), Hennings (vIn.) and Mme. Bigot (pf.). At 10 he entered the Singakademie, as an alto; the same year his setting of the 19th Psalm was performed by the Akademie. Sunday a small orch. performed at his father’s house, his comps. were heard here early and often; he usually cond. these concerts even as a child. 1825 his father took him to Paris to consult Cherubin i, who offered to teach him, but the father preferred to have him at home. 12 he began the series of 44 vols., in which he kept copies of his comps. This year he c. bet. 50 and 60 pcs., incl. a cantata, a mus. comedy, a pf.-trio, 2 pf.-sonatas, a vln.-sonata, songs, etc. At 9 he had played the pf. in public; at 12 he was a notable improviser (while playing a Bach fugue at Goethe’s request he extemporised the Development which he had suddenly forgotten). 17 he c. the remarkably original, beautiful and (in advance) Wagner i an overture to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and the superb octet for strings (op. 20). This same year he matriculated at Berlin Univ. with a translation of Terence, said to be the first German attempt to render Terence in his own metres. He also painted, and was proficient in gymnastics and billiards. At 18 he prod. the succ. opera ‘Die Hochzeit des Camacho,” at the Berlin Opera, in which he used the leitmotif (v. D. D.). At 20 he compelled and conducted the first performance since the composer’s death of the Bach “‘ Pa ion according to St. Matthew’ at the Singakademie. This was the first step in the great crusade he waged, taking Bach out of obsolescence into the pre-eminence he now keeps. 1830, M. declined the chair of mus. at the Berlin Univ. The year before he had made the first of nine voyages to England, where he has stood next to Handel in popularity and influence. He cond. his symph. in C minor, at the London Philh., which gave him his first official recognition as a composer. same year he was invited (in vain) to c. a festival hymn for the anniversary of the emancipation of the natives of Ceylon, and in his letters (in which his sunny nature finds free play) he teferred to himself as ‘‘Composer to the Island of Ceylon.”” He appeared also with brilliant succ. as pianist and organist. He now travelled in Scotland, Switzerland, and elsewhere, and returning to London, conducted the “He brides’’ overture, played his G min. concerto and B min. Capriccio brillant, and pub. his first 6 “Songs without Words” (c. in Venice, 1830). His race and his amazing energy and succ. made him much opposition at Berlin, and he was refused the conductorship of the Singakademie in 1833, although he had arranged a series of concerts for the benefit of the Orch. Pension Fund. 1833, he cond. the Lower Rhine Mus. Festival at Dii eldorf, and became Town Mus. Dir. of the ch.mus., the opera, and two singing societies, for a salary of 600 thaler (about $450). 1835, he became cond. of the Gewandhaus Orch., Leipzig, which (with Fd. David as leader) he raised to the highest efficiency; the Univ. made him, in 1836, Dr. Phil., #. c.; 1836, he cond. his oratorio ‘‘Paulus,” the Lower Rhine Festival, Dii eldorf, in 1837 also at the Birmingham Festival. 1837, he m. Cécile Charlotte Sophie Jeanrenaud of Frankfort, daughter of a French Protestant clergyman. She bore him five children, Karl, Marie, Paul, Felix, and ‘‘Lili’’ (Elisabeth). Wilhelm IV. invited him to take charge of the grand orch. and choral concerts at Berlin. The hostility to him was however so general that he wished to resign, but at the King’s request organised the cath. mus., later famous as the ‘“Domchor’’ (cath. choir), He was made R. Gen. Mus. Dir. With Schumann, Hauptmann, David, Becker, and Pohlenz, in the faculty, he organised the since famous Conservatorium of Mus. at Leipzig (since 1876 the “‘R. Cons.”’); he again cond. the Gewandhaus Concerts. 1845 he cond. “ Elijah” at Birmingham. He resigned the Gewandhaus conductorship to Gade, piano-dept. Moscheles, whom he invited from London. Upon hearing the news of the sudden death of his idolised sister, Fanny Hensel, he fell insensible and lived only 6 months. M. was kept from opera by inability to find-a satisfactory libretto. Besides “Die Hochzeit des Camacho he left an unfinished opera “‘ Lorelei,” an operetta ‘“‘Son and Stranger,’ and 5 small unpub. operas. He c. 3 _oratorios, “Paulus” (St. Paul) “Elias” (Elijah), and ‘Christ us’? (unfinished), the symph. cantata “Lobgesang,” op. 52; the ‘tallade, with orch. “Die erste Walpurgisnacht,” op. 60; ‘Festgesdnge,” “An die Kiinstler” (for male chorus and bra ), and “Zur Sécularfeier der Buchdruckerkunst” (‘Gutenberg Cantata’’), with orch.; mus. to the plays ‘‘Anti gone’’ (op. 55), ‘‘ Athalie”’ (op. 74), ‘‘Gidipus in Colonos”? (op. 93), and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (op. 61); c. also vocal works with orch., hymn, ‘‘Tu es Petrus,” Psalms 114, 115, and 95, prayer “Verleth’ uns Frieden,” and sopr. concert-aria ‘“‘Infelice’” (op. 94). 4 SYMPHONIES, in C min.; (or “Scotch”’); (or A min. “TItalian’’); D (or ‘“Reformation”’). OVERTURES, ‘‘Sommernachistraum”’ (“A Midsummer Night’s Dream’’), op. 21; “‘ He brides,” “Die Fingalshihle’”’ (or “Fingal’s Cave’’), op. 26; ““Meerstille und gliickliche Fahrt’ (‘Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage’’), ‘‘ Die Melusine’’? (‘The Melusine”) (op. 32), “Ruy Blas” (op. 95). “‘Trumpet’’ overture, and an overture for wind-band (op. 24); c. also andante, scherzo, capriccio, and fugue, for string-orch. (op. 81), funeral march (op. 103), and march (op. 108); 2 pf.-concertos, in G. min. and D. min.; capriccio brillant; _rondo brillant, and serenade and allegro giocoso, for pf. with orch.; vln.-concerto in E min. (op. 64); a string octet, quartets, 2 quintets, a pf.-sextet, 7 string-quartets, 3 pf.- quartets, 2 pf.-trios, 2 trios for clar., ba et horn, and pf.; 2 ’cello-sonatas, a sonata for vln., variations concertantes (op. 17) and ‘‘Lied ohne Worte’’ (op. 109), for ’cello with pf., religious and secular choruses, 13 vocal duets, and 83 songs. PIANO, sonatas; capriccio; Charakterstiicke; rondo capriccioso; 4 fantasias, incl. “The Last Rose of Summer’; ‘Lieder Worte” (“Songs without Words’’) in 8 books; “Sonate éco aise,’’ 6 preludes and fugues, “Variations sérieuses,” etc.; 6 Kinderstiicke, 3 preludes and 3 studies, op. 104; ‘‘Albumblait,” “Perpetuum mobile,’ etc. 4-hand variations; 4-hand allegro brillant; duo concert ant (with Moscheles), for 2 pfs. on the march-theme in Weber’s ‘“Preciosa.”” FOR ORGAN, 3 preludes and fugues; 5 sonatas, op. $5; preludes in C min. Biogr. by his eldest son Karl (1871); _e» Hiller £1874); S. Hensel (1870); Eckardt (1888); an extended article by Grove (in his Dictionary), etc. Numerous editions of his letters are published. Memoirs by Lampad i us, Kaufman, Rockstro, Runciman and Stratton. (See article, page 504.) (2) Arnold, Ratibor, Dec. 26, r855— Darmstadt, Feb. 19, 1933; grandnephew of above; studied Haupt, Kiel, Grell, Taubert; organist and teacher in the Univ. at Bonn; then teacher at Cologne Cons.; then at Darmstadt, profe or; from 1912 Main; D. Cons., Theol., Univ., 1917. C. operas “Elsi” (Cologne City Th., 1894), ‘Der Barenhduter,” and “Die Minneburg’”; also many choral works of high quality; songs, etc. Mendés (mian-dés), Catulle, Bordeaux May 22, 1841—Paris, Feb. 8, 1909; poet; librettist of pop. poems and operettas. (min-gil), Jos., Ghent, 1784—1851; horn-virtuoso and dram. composer. (meng’-él-bérkh), (1) Jos. Willem, b. Utrecht, March 28, 1871; pupil of Umland, Hol, Wurff, Petri at Utrecht, Cologne Cons.; 1891, dir. at Lucerne; from 1895 to the present he has been the brilliant cond. of the Concertgebouw Orch., an organisation which he shaped into one of the leading ensembles in Europe; after 1898 also of the Toonkunst choral society there. Beginning 1903 he served as guest leader of many Eur. orchs., incl. the London Philh.; 1905 he visited N. Y. as one of the conductors of the Philh. Orch.; 1907 led the Frankfort Museum Concerts and, 1908, the Caecilienverein there; in 1921 he returned to N. Y. as cond. of the short-lived Nat’l Symph. Orch., and made so powerful an impre ion that he was engaged for the Philh. when the former orch. was merged with it. He conducted annually in N. Y. until 1930 with a pronounced musical following; he has appeared as guest cond. in the principal Eur. capitals. Also a proficient pianist, and a notable champion of the works of Mahler. (2) Rudolf, b. Crefeld, Germany, Feb. 1, 1892; cousin of (1); composer and writer; wrote Concertgebouw, of which after 1925 he was vice-director.