Manesse
Felix Mendelssohn: In the mirror of his own statements and contemporary documents - A portrait of a musical genius
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, one of the most important composers of the Romantic period, is impressively portrayed in "Felix Mendelssohn. In the mirror of his own statements and contemporary documents", he is impressively portrayed through his own words and those of his contemporaries. This collection of letters, diary entries and contemporary reports provides a direct insight into the life and work of Mendelssohn, who was not only one of the most influential musicians of his time as a composer, but also as a conductor, pianist and organist.
Mendelssohn's personality emerges clearly in his own statements. He was not only a musical prodigy - comparable to Mozart - but also a highly educated and reflective person who engaged with the literature, art and philosophy of his time. His letters reveal his interest in classical and romantic literature as well as his passion for travel and discovery. His encounters with Italy and England, which he describes in many letters to friends and family, were particularly formative for him. These travels had a profound influence on his artistic work, as works such as the "Italian Symphony" or the "Hebrides Overture" prove.
In contemporary documents, Mendelssohn is described by those around him as a brilliant musician and a charismatic personality. Contemporaries such as Robert Schumann and Hector Berlioz admired not only his technical skills and compositional artistry, but also his role as a bridge-builder between the Classical and Romantic eras. Mendelssohn was one of the first to rediscover the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and make it accessible to a wider audience, which shows his great feeling for the musical tradition and his deep reverence for the great masters of the past.
His personal relationships, especially with his family, are also of great importance in the surviving documents. His close relationship with his sister Fanny, who was herself a talented composer, plays a central role in his letters. This family closeness and his need for harmony and consistency are also reflected in his music, which is often praised for its beauty, clarity and formal perfection.
Nevertheless, his own statements also reveal a deep sensitivity and occasional melancholy that characterized his artistic work. Despite his success, he sometimes felt misunderstood and struggled with the tensions that come with the life of a publicly admired artist. The effort of constantly creating new works that lived up to high expectations and the pressure of being considered a musical genius weighed heavily on him.