Customer Reviews (1)

Bravo!
On Wings of Song: A Biography of Felix Mendelssohn, is an amazing book.Wilfrid Blunt is a wonderful writer who truly captures the essence of the life and times of Mendelssohn. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Informative for three generations
Not only is this a very well-done biography of the musician Felix but the chapters on his grandfather, Moses Mendelssohn, and his father are also of much interest and carefully composed.The account of Felix Mendelssohn, who was a child prodigy and had an amazing career, is very readable and anyone who wants to know about it will be glad to read this book.I am not 'into' classical music, but yet I found this book worthwile. ... Read more

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The Eulenburg Audio+Score Series covers more than 200 years of the world's favorite classical music. Each of the 50 volumes consists of a clearly-presented and authoritative musical score, an informative preface detailing the biographical and creative background, and a Naxos CD containing the work in full length. Eulenburg Audio+Score is the new way to hear, read, and understand music for everyone from the casual music lover to the expert enthusiast. Each volume includes a study score of the music with an informative article and a CD with a complete recording of the featured piece. ... Read more

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A biography of the German composer of "Midsummer Night's Dream" with emphasis on his happy family life and analyses of his music. ... Read more

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This biography of composer and pianist Felix Mendelssohn traces his development from musical child prodigy to a conductor whose influence as an advocate of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven is still felt to this day. A great deal of attention is paid to Mendelssohn's early nineteenth-century cultural surroundings and the book includes interpretation and discussion of major works, without use of musical examples or technical language, placing them within the context of his personal and public life. This is the first new biography of Mendelssohn to appear in some seventeen years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fluent, clear guide to a much-maligned composer
Previously unfamiliar to me, Peter Mercer-Taylor is a fluent narrator (though he does not always write as well as he can, and at times lapses into Madison Avenue vulgarity). For all who esteem this much-maligned composer, Mercer-Taylor will prove an exceptionally clear guide to the surprisingly large amount of Mendelssohn's output which we almost never hear. I recently gave this book as a wedding present to a bride much enamoured of Mendelssohn's achievement; she seems to have found Mercer-Taylor thoroughly readable and satisfying.

Tracing of Significant Composer
Mendelssohn is traced through his life as to influences, both spiritually, musically and elsewhere.

Raised in upper class surroundings, he and sister Fanny were certainly cultivated in rich musical and literary heritage.So no surprise that Mendelssohn honored his musical heritiage and was fond of Bach especially.

Climb to fame capsulated well in this biographical look with specific references given at appropriate times on musical and theological insights.This all culminates late in his life with tension over all his duties both musically and family and they take their toil.

Never happy living in Germany, persistently traveling which also for sure took its toll.Creative output continues to reverberate throughtout concert halls.

Truly a tightly written account of significant musical contributor.

An Extremely Enjoyable Experience
With a smooth and easy-to-read style that is brimming with factual details and emotive feelings, Mr. Mercer-Taylor's writing provides a concise and highly articulate story of Felix Mendelssohn's life.Mendelssohn's many significant contributions as a composer, musician, conductor, teacher and adminstrator are presented in an interesting collage of personalities and historical events of the times.In particular, the author's description of Mendelssohn's music captures its essence perfectly.An extremely enjoyable reading experience. ... Read more

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One of the most frequently performed of all choral works, this splendid oratorio unfolds in an inspired series of solo and choral passages filled with compelling drama and rich musical symbolism. Reprinted from an authoritative German edition, complete with both German and English texts.
Amazon.com Review
Classical music has its fashion cycles as does every human endeavor.One is the periodic rediscovery andsubsequent submersion of composer FelixMendelssohn (1809-1847). This sadly underrated composer is often denigrated for what someconsider to be his tendency to write quasi-kitschy music without a firm stylisticbasis. To make things worse, popular wisdom maintains that he did all of his bestwork as a teenager and then burned out. Elijah, first performedshortly before the composer's death, proves wrong the"burnout" theory, for it is a masterpiece that was composed at the very end ofMendelssohn's brief life. The work combines classical discipline and romantic sweepin a dramatic format that owes at least as much to opera as to previousoratorios. It gives us splendid choruses in the style of Bach and Handel andmemorable arias, as well as a dandy leading role for the bass who sings theprophet.

Elijah's arrival led later composers to try to copy Mendelssohn's success with Biblical oratorios of their own, but their attemptsstand out mostly as examples of the simpering excesses of Victorian slush.The saccharine efforts lacked the skill, power, and conviction of Elijah,and now languish in well-deserved obscurity. But Elijah holds thelistener's ear with its music and its meaning.

Elijah tells the story of the stern prophet who calledthe misbehaving people of Israel to repentance, and who clung to his resolvethrough a world of troubles until he was carried by a whirlwindinto heaven as a reward. The subject enabled Mendelssohn to write a work that combined his ancestralJudaism with his own Lutheranism and to attempt to build a bridge from the OldCovenant to the New. You can explore how Mendelssohn achieved his inspiring goal in this complete orchestral score from Dover. The usual caveatsfor Dover's reprints of out-of-copyright editions prevail: the scores arenot the most up-to-date, they usually lack English translations, and, because they're fullscores, you will not be able to plunk them down on the music stand in front ofthe average organist and expect her to play it with any ease. That said, the scores are a tremendous bargain for anyone--students, professional musicians, amateur music lovers--with the urge to study acomplete score of a fascinating work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Elijah in Full Score
I had no idea it was in German, so it is useless to me and I wish I could return it, but I don't know how.

elijah
i would like to know if is the complete librety about the oratory

A quality score at a bargain price
This score is identical in every way to the Kalmus edition, which is considerably more expensive.The only caveat for conductors or students is that the Soprano and Alto staves use a C-clef and the Tenor staff uses a C4clef.So does the Kalmus edition!Bass line and instrument clefs arenormal.This is the one to purchase.A beatiful, easy-to-read score. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the most frequently performed of all choral works, this splendid oratorio unfolds in an inspired series of solo and choral passages filled with compelling drama and rich musical symbolism. Reprinted from an authoritative German edition, complete with both German and English texts.
Amazon.com Review
Classical music has its fashion cycles as does every human endeavor.One is the periodic rediscovery andsubsequent submersion of composer FelixMendelssohn (1809-1847). This sadly underrated composer is often denigrated for what someconsider to be his tendency to write quasi-kitschy music without a firm stylisticbasis. To make things worse, popular wisdom maintains that he did all of his bestwork as a teenager and then burned out. Elijah, first performedshortly before the composer's death, proves wrong the"burnout" theory, for it is a masterpiece that was composed at the very end ofMendelssohn's brief life. The work combines classical discipline and romantic sweepin a dramatic format that owes at least as much to opera as to previousoratorios. It gives us splendid choruses in the style of Bach and Handel andmemorable arias, as well as a dandy leading role for the bass who sings theprophet.

Elijah's arrival led later composers to try to copy Mendelssohn's success with Biblical oratorios of their own, but their attemptsstand out mostly as examples of the simpering excesses of Victorian slush.The saccharine efforts lacked the skill, power, and conviction of Elijah,and now languish in well-deserved obscurity. But Elijah holds thelistener's ear with its music and its meaning.

Elijah tells the story of the stern prophet who calledthe misbehaving people of Israel to repentance, and who clung to his resolvethrough a world of troubles until he was carried by a whirlwindinto heaven as a reward. The subject enabled Mendelssohn to write a work that combined his ancestralJudaism with his own Lutheranism and to attempt to build a bridge from the OldCovenant to the New. You can explore how Mendelssohn achieved his inspiring goal in this complete orchestral score from Dover. The usual caveatsfor Dover's reprints of out-of-copyright editions prevail: the scores arenot the most up-to-date, they usually lack English translations, and, because they're fullscores, you will not be able to plunk them down on the music stand in front ofthe average organist and expect her to play it with any ease. That said, the scores are a tremendous bargain for anyone--students, professional musicians, amateur music lovers--with the urge to study acomplete score of a fascinating work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Elijah in Full Score
I had no idea it was in German, so it is useless to me and I wish I could return it, but I don't know how.

elijah
i would like to know if is the complete librety about the oratory

A quality score at a bargain price
This score is identical in every way to the Kalmus edition, which is considerably more expensive.The only caveat for conductors or students is that the Soprano and Alto staves use a C-clef and the Tenor staff uses a C4clef.So does the Kalmus edition!Bass line and instrument clefs arenormal.This is the one to purchase.A beatiful, easy-to-read score. ... Read more

Product Description
Unlike most 19th Century composers who had to struggle to make a living, Felix Mendelssohn came from a very wealthy family. He never had to work, but he worked harder to fulfill his family's expectations than many who suffer poverty. He was an extremely gifted musical genius who wrote some of his best works while he was still a teenager.

Mendelssohn gained fame as a conductor, and as the organizer of many music festivals in Germany and in England where he was always enthusiastically welcomed. Unlike some composers who only performed their own work, Mendelssohn had a passion for presenting the best music of all periods. He was also very generous in helping younger composers by playing their work.

His weakness was being unable to say no to the many requests he received for performances. He was a perfectionist who devoted his energy to presenting the highest possible level of musical perfection. As his fame spread, he had little time left for his own compositions. Mendelssohn died at the age of 38, essentially from ... Read more

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An advanced duet for two pianos, four hands by Felix Mendelssohn. ... Read more

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Most scholars since World War Two have assumed that composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) maintained a strong attachment to Judaism throughout his lifetime. As these commentators have rightly noted, Mendelssohn was born Jewish and did not convert to Protestantism until age seven, his grandfather was the famous Jewish reformer and philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, and his music was banned by the Nazis, who clearly viewed him as a Jew.

Such facts tell only part of the story, however. Through a mix of cultural analysis, biographical study, and a close examination of the libretto drafts of Mendelssohn's sacred works, The Price of Assimilation provides dramatic new answers to the so-called "Mendelssohn Jewish question."

Sposato demonstrates how Mendelssohn's father, Abraham, worked to distance the family from its Jewish past, and how Mendelssohn's reputation as a composer of Christian sacred music was threatened by the reverence with which German Jews viewed his family name. In order to prove the sincerity of his Christian faith to both his father and his audiences, Mendelssohn aligned his early sacred works with a nineteenth-century anti-Semitic musical tradition, and did so more fervently than even his Christian collaborators required. With the death of Mendelssohn's father and the near simultaneous establishment of the composer's career in Leipzig in 1835, however, Mendelssohn's fear of his background began to dissipate, and he began to explore ways in which he could prove the sincerity of his faith without having to publicly disparage his Jewish heritage. ... Read more

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Since his death in 1847, Felix Mendelssohn’s music and personality have been both admired and denigrated to extraordinary degrees. In this valuable book Clive Brown weaves together a rich array of documents—letters, diaries, memoirs, reviews, news reports, and more—to present a balanced and fascinating picture of the composer and his work. Rejecting the received view of Mendelssohn as a facile, lightweight musician, Brown demonstrates that he was in fact an innovative and highly cerebral composer who exerted a powerful influence on musical thought into the twentieth century. Brown discusses Mendelssohn’s family background and education; the role of religion and race in his life and reputation; his experiences as practical musician (pianist, organist, string player, conductor) and as teacher and composer; the critical reception of his works; and the vicissitudes of his posthumous reputation. The book also includes a range of hitherto unpublished sketches made by !Mendelssohn. The result is an unprecedented portrayal of the man and his achievements as viewed through his own words and those of his contempories. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A thematic approach to Mendelssohn's life and music.
Two hundred years after his birth, Mendelssohn appears to be undergoing a welcome reappraisal. Brown's book is a worthy addition to the many scholarly books and essays on this multi-talented and fascinating man, dispelling many of the myths perpetuated after his tragically early death. What sets this work apart from other biographies is its thematic arrangement of the many aspects of the composer's life and career, including his family, relations with women, religion, philosophy, his career as a conductor, composer, performer, as well as critical reception of the composer's work both during his lifetime and posthumously. A separate chapter discusses Wagner's essay on Judaism in music and its pernicious effect on Mendelssohn's (and Meyerbeer's) musical reputation. Mendelssohn's impressive accomplishments as visual artist are also discussed and some of his sketches and watercolors reproduced, although I would have enjoyed seeing some of them in color.

A deeply spiritual man and an idealist at heart, Mendelssohn believed that art and life should be one and the same. It is therefore a supreme irony that a composer who strove for depth of feeling and honesty in his work has too often been dismissed as superficial. Brown's book provides a welcome corrective to the life and legacy of this often misunderstood genius. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1863.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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Publisher: New York : Leypolt ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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Although Mendelssohn was most famous during his lifetime as a composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor, he also enjoyed an enviable reputation as a highly skilled organist. The instrument had fascinated - one might almost say mesmerized - him from earliest youth, but aside from a year or so of formal training at the age of about twelve or thirteen, he was entirely self-taught. He never held a position as church organist, and he never had any organ pupils. Nevertheless, the instrument played a uniquely important role in his personal life. In the course of his many travels, whether in major cities or tiny villages, he invariably gravitated to the organ loft, where he might spend hours playing the works of Bach or simply improvising. Although the piano clearly served Mendelssohn as an eminently practical instrument, the organ seems to have been his instrument of choice. He searched out an organ loft, not because he had to, but because he wanted to, because on the organ he could find catharsis. Indeed, as he once exclaimed to his parents, after reading a portion of Schiller's Wilhelm Tell, "I must rush off to the monastery and work off my excitement on the organ!"
Mendelssohn's public performance on the organ in Germany was rare, and he gave but one public recital - in the Thomas-Kirche in Leipzig in 1840. In England, however, he evidently felt more comfortable on the organ bench and played there often before large crowds. Indeed, he performed as Guest Organist twice at the Birmingham Music Festivals, in 1837 and 1842.
Given Mendelssohn's profound affinity for the organ, it is remarkable that he composed but relatively little for the instrument, and assigned an Opus number to only two works - his Three Preludes and Fugues for Organ (Op. 37) and his Six Sonatas for the Organ (Op. 65). A small number of organ works, plus sketches and drafts, were scattered among his musical papers; most of these only gradually found their way into print, and it was not until the late twentieth century that an edition of his complete organ works was finally published. This volume is intended as a companion to that edition. ... Read more

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Detailed bibliography of important composer of Romantic instrumental works. Includes a timeline of his life in relation to important conemporary events amd discussions of his compositions. ... Read more