Difference between revisions of "Elijah"

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Felix Mendelssohn's contributions to sacred vocal and choral music were prefigured by those of Bach. Having spearheaded the revival of Bach's music in Germany while he was still in his twenties, Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was sought after to compose music for the new cathedral being built in Berlin in the early 1840s. His devotion to the music of Bach dated back to his student years.  When he was nine years old, his sister Fanny (then aged thirteen) memorized the whole of Bach's <i>Well-Tempered Clavier</i>.  The following year he and his sister joined the chorus of Berlin's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing-Akademie_zu_Berlin Sing-Akademie]. Its emphasis was on the preservation of choral music. Mendelssohn and his sister studied music theory privately with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Friedrich_Zelter Zelter], then the director of the Sing-Akademie, whom Mendelssohn harbored thoughts of succeeding at the Sing-Akademie, and Felix alone took organ lessons from A.W. Bach.  By 1821 he had mastered [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figured_bass figured bass], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_(music)#Counterpoint invertible counterpoint], and the writing of two- and three-voiced [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue#Types fugues].  These were remarkable achievements for a lad of barely thirteen.   
 
Felix Mendelssohn's contributions to sacred vocal and choral music were prefigured by those of Bach. Having spearheaded the revival of Bach's music in Germany while he was still in his twenties, Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was sought after to compose music for the new cathedral being built in Berlin in the early 1840s. His devotion to the music of Bach dated back to his student years.  When he was nine years old, his sister Fanny (then aged thirteen) memorized the whole of Bach's <i>Well-Tempered Clavier</i>.  The following year he and his sister joined the chorus of Berlin's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing-Akademie_zu_Berlin Sing-Akademie]. Its emphasis was on the preservation of choral music. Mendelssohn and his sister studied music theory privately with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Friedrich_Zelter Zelter], then the director of the Sing-Akademie, whom Mendelssohn harbored thoughts of succeeding at the Sing-Akademie, and Felix alone took organ lessons from A.W. Bach.  By 1821 he had mastered [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figured_bass figured bass], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_(music)#Counterpoint invertible counterpoint], and the writing of two- and three-voiced [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugue#Types fugues].  These were remarkable achievements for a lad of barely thirteen.   
  
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It was in these years that the prodigy began to compose. Zelter's pedagogical model were drawn largely from the Prussian violinist Johann Philipp Kirnberger (1721-1783), who was born a century earlier.
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It was in these years that the prodigy began to compose. Zelter's pedagogical model were drawn largely from the Prussian violinist [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Kirnberger Johann Philipp Kirnberger] (1721-1783), who had been a pupil of Bach and greatly admired his master.  Kirnberger especially championed Bach's <i>Clavieruebungen</i> and his chorale preludes (BWV 690-713). Kirnberger is best known today for his composition manual <i>Die Kunst des reinen Satzes in der Musik</i> and his [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirnberger_temperament tweaks] of equal-tempered tuning.  
  
 
What we learn from this phase of Mendelssohn's musical education is that he was immersed in the music of J.S. Bach from an early age.  The values of the Sing-Akademie favored a parallel indulgence in the performance of Bach's music.  There was, however, an immediate obstacle: pieces by Bach were rarely found in performing editions.
 
What we learn from this phase of Mendelssohn's musical education is that he was immersed in the music of J.S. Bach from an early age.  The values of the Sing-Akademie favored a parallel indulgence in the performance of Bach's music.  There was, however, an immediate obstacle: pieces by Bach were rarely found in performing editions.

Revision as of 00:15, 2 February 2021

Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah, Op. 70

The Making of Elijah

Felix Mendelssohn's contributions to sacred vocal and choral music were prefigured by those of Bach. Having spearheaded the revival of Bach's music in Germany while he was still in his twenties, Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was sought after to compose music for the new cathedral being built in Berlin in the early 1840s. His devotion to the music of Bach dated back to his student years. When he was nine years old, his sister Fanny (then aged thirteen) memorized the whole of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. The following year he and his sister joined the chorus of Berlin's Sing-Akademie. Its emphasis was on the preservation of choral music. Mendelssohn and his sister studied music theory privately with Zelter, then the director of the Sing-Akademie, whom Mendelssohn harbored thoughts of succeeding at the Sing-Akademie, and Felix alone took organ lessons from A.W. Bach. By 1821 he had mastered figured bass, invertible counterpoint, and the writing of two- and three-voiced fugues. These were remarkable achievements for a lad of barely thirteen.

It was in these years that the prodigy began to compose. Zelter's pedagogical model were drawn largely from the Prussian violinist Johann Philipp Kirnberger (1721-1783), who had been a pupil of Bach and greatly admired his master. Kirnberger especially championed Bach's Clavieruebungen and his chorale preludes (BWV 690-713). Kirnberger is best known today for his composition manual Die Kunst des reinen Satzes in der Musik and his tweaks of equal-tempered tuning.

What we learn from this phase of Mendelssohn's musical education is that he was immersed in the music of J.S. Bach from an early age. The values of the Sing-Akademie favored a parallel indulgence in the performance of Bach's music. There was, however, an immediate obstacle: pieces by Bach were rarely found in performing editions.

Parts

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