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 travelled 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 two 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 19th century where it went relatively unnoticed due to changing musical tastes.
Often recognised 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 4th November 1847 aged 38.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing recordings
BBC Welsh Chorus
Arranger – Sir David Willcocks
Conductor – John Hugh Thomas
Organist – Huw Tregelles Williams
Fanfare Trumpeters of the Welsh Guards
Musical Director – Lt. Col. P. Hannam, BEM
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
Choir of St. John’s, Cambridge
London 421 022 (CD: Christmas Weekend -16 Favourite Carols)
Conductor – George Guest
Organ – Stephen Cleobury
Robert DeCormier Singers and Ensemble
Arabesque 6526 (A Victorian Christmas)
Conductor – Robert DeCormier
Kiri te Kanawa
TELDEC 99000 (CD: Christmas with Kiri te Kanawa)
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Choir of Lichfield Cathedral
The Choir of Coventry Cathedral
Conductor – R. Stapleton
Soprano – Kiri te Kanawa
Baritone – Michael George
Trumpet – Jouko Harjanne
Kings College Choir Cambridge
London 444 848 (CD: Noel – Christmas at Kings)
Conductor – Sir David Willcocks
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
Robert Shaw Chorale
RCA 6429 – 2 – RG (CD: A Festival of Carols)
(Arrangers – Robert Shaw/Alice Parker)
Dale Warland Singers and Ensemble
Gothic 49208 (CD: Christmas with the Dale Warland Singers)
Arranger– Carol Barnett
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