ABBA

He was a composer of the Romantic period born Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy in Hamburg, Germany. His father was a banker, his grandfather a philosopher and his mother, Lea Salomon, was a member of the German musical and cultural Itzig family. The family moved to Berlin in 1812 and he was regarded as the "greatest child prodigy after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart". His mother taught him the piano when he was six and was tutored in Paris when he was seven. He studied in Berlin when he was eight and made his first public concert appearance in a chamber music concert when he was nine. While still a child he was a prolific composer and his first published work, at the age of thirteen, was a piano quartet. He took lessons from Ignaz Moscheles, who would become a lifelong friend, and who later confessed that there wasn't much he could teach him. A talented student he also studied art, literature, philosophy and could speak English, Italian and Latin besides his native German. He wrote 12 string symphonies between the age of 12 and 14 and his first full orchestral symphony when he was 15. He traveled to Britain after further studies in Berlin and met Queen Victoria and Price Albert who were both admirers of his work. He visited Britain 10 times during his life and Scotland inspired tow of his most famous works,Fingal's Cave and Symphony No. 3 (Scottish Symphony). He was appointed conductor of the Leipzig Gewendhaus Orchestra and in 1843 he founded the Leipzig Conservatory where he convinced Ignaz Moscheles and Robert Schumann to join him. His works include symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano and chamber music and his work is only now being re-evaluated and recognized following a long period in the 19^th century where it went relatively un-noticed due to changing musical tastes. Often recognized in the entertainment world his music has been heard in upwards of 300 movies and television programmes. He suffered bad health in his final years and the suffered great distress at the death of his composer sister, Fanny. After a series of strokes he died that same year on 4^th November 1847 aged 38.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing recordings

Black Dyke Mills Band

Chandos 4541 (CD: A Christmas Fantasy)

Boston Pops

Philips 416 287 - 2 (CD: We Wish You a Merry Christmas)

Conductor - John Williams

DG 419 414-2 (CD: White Christmas)

Conductor - Arthur Fiedler

RCA 09026-61685-2 (CD: Pops Christmas Party)

Conductor - Arthur Fiedler

Sony SK 48232 (CD: Joy to the World)

Conductor - John Williams

Tanglewood Festival Chorus

Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

Naxos 8.990005 (CD: Joy to the World)

Conductor - Richard Hayman

Rochester Pops Orchestra

Koch CHD 1531 (CD: Joy to the World - Carols for Orchestra and Chorus)

St Louis Philharmonic Orchestra

Sonari records - 7 55724 00272 3 (CD: Christmas with the Philharmonic)

Conductor - Robert Hart Baker

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