"Would not that be splendid for an oratorio!"'"Would not that be splendid for an oratorio!"'ToList
'"Would not that be splendid for an oratorio!"'ToList
The years intervening between the inception of this great work and its completion had brought no little anxiety and strain connected with his arduous labours, and they had brought one deep sorrow, the loss of his mother, whose death had been as sudden and unexpected as that of the father. Honours had been bestowed upon him by royal hands—the King of Prussia had personally conveyed to him his wishes that he should assume the directorship of music in Berlin, and when Mendelssohn found himself unable to retain the position he had begged him to reconsider his decision; the King of Saxony had made him Capellmeister to his Court; and last, but not least, he had received atthe hands of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert such marks of personal regard and esteem as must have served to endear him more than ever to the country which had been foremost in recognising the greatness of his genius.
Those years, too, had witnessed the fruits of his unceasing labours for the advancement of his art in those centres over which his personal influence extended. Leipzig under him had become a musical centre to which young students and composers flocked, in order to obtain his opinion and guidance in respect to their work, or even, in many cases, to place themselves for a time where his methods could be studied and his personality enjoyed at the same time. Amongst others came William Sterndale Bennett, filled with enthusiasm, to profit by his advice, and to find in the master a kind and generous friend. Nor should we omit to mention, amongst the numerous offshoots of his labours, the foundation of the Conservatorium of Music at Leipzig, a scheme entirely due to his initiative, and which under his fostering care developed into one of the first academies of the day. Lastly, amidst the whirl of work he found time to carry out a project which he had for long cherished—the erection, at the threshold of the Thomas School at Leipzig, of a monument to the memory of Sebastian Bach.
On the morning of Wednesday, August 26, 1846, the Town Hall of Birmingham presented a scene of unusual animation. A huge crowd was entering its doors and taking possession of the phalanx of chairs occupying the floor of the building. In the gallery every seat had been taken an hour earlier, and very soon every eye was directed towards the conductor's desk in expectation of Mendelssohn's appearance. Eager anticipation was in the air, for this day was to witness the first performanceof 'Elijah' under the baton of the composer, who had thus elected to submit his greatest work to the judgment of an English audience.
'At half-past eleven o'clock,' wrote one who was present on the occasion, 'a deafening shout from the band and chorus announced the approach of the great composer. The reception he met with on stepping into his place from the assembled thousands was absolutely overwhelming, whilst the sun, emerging at that moment, seemed to illumine the vast edifice in honour of the bright and pure being who stood there, the idol of all beholders.' The applause which broke forth at the end of the first part gave a sufficient indication of the impression which the audience had formed of the work, and at the conclusion the enthusiasm was such that the entire assembly rose to their feet, and shouted and waved for several minutes.
It was over, and Mendelssohn's gratification at his reception was expressed in the letter which he wrote to his brother Paul the same evening: 'No work of mine ever went so admirably at the first performance, or was received with such enthusiasm both by musicians and the public as this.... I almost doubt if I can ever hear one like it again.'
In April of the following year four performances of the 'Elijah' took place at Exeter Hall under his conductorship, the Queen and Prince Albert gracing the second performance with their presence. This was destined to be his last visit to these shores, and when he departed, after fulfilling a round of engagements which tried his strength to its uttermost limits, it was with the haunting shadow of coming illness. Scarcely had he rejoined his family at Frankfort than a messenger brought the sad intelligence that his sister Fanny had died suddenly at Berlin; the news was broken to himall too suddenly, and with a loud shriek he fell to the ground in a swoon.
From that moment his spirits failed him; there was no rebound from the deep depression into which he had fallen—only occasional flickerings of his former self showed that the struggle to assert his will-power over an ever-increasing loss of physical strength was still going on. There were moments, indeed, when it seemed to himself, if not to those who watched him with growing anxiety, that he was regaining his old buoyancy—the old craving for work which nothing seemed to have the power to destroy. But though compositions still came from his pen, though he had not yet given up hope in himself—'You shall have plenty of music from me; I will give you no cause to complain,' he had remarked to an English publisher shortly before this time—it was plain to those nearest to him that the inexorable finger of death was pointing the way to the Valley of Shadows.
The streets of Leipzig were flooded with sunshine, though November had just entered upon its course, and though the approach of winter was apparent in the crispness of the air. Yet a cloud overhung the town which no degree of atmospheric brightness could dispel—a cloud of sorrow which took its birth from the placards affixed to the street corners, and spread its shadow over street after street, from one knot of inquirers to another, until the brief announcement which those placards conveyed became the common news, the common sorrow, of all. Mendelssohn was dead. On the evening of the previous day (November 4, 1847) the master whose bright, genial spirit had endeared him to so many hearts beyond the confines of his own circle, had passed to his rest. The blow had fallen with terrible swiftness,and we who love his music can only faintly realise how keenly those who knew and loved him, and who had come within the influence of his happy nature, must have felt the sudden break in that continuous flow of harmony which his life presented. Sweet as summer wind across the garden, wafting scents of choicest flowers, his life had passed over like a breath of heaven.
Without doubt his was a beautiful life—one of which, as it has been truly said, 'there is nothing to tell that is not honourable to his memory, and profitable to all men.' We cannot separate—we can have no wish to separate—such a life from the genius which enriched it, because the noble ideals which governed it throughout were embodied and expressed in the creations of that genius, as well as in his private conduct; rather should we be content to accept his life as it stands—in actions, deeds, and works—as a priceless gift, an indivisible whole.
Mendelssohn's funeral was a very imposing one. The first portion of the ceremonies was performed at Leipzig, and was attended by crowds of musicians and students—one of the latter bearing on a cushion the silver crown presented to the composer by his pupils, side by side with the Order 'Pour le Mérite' conferred upon him by the King of Prussia. As the long procession went on its way to the Pauliner Church the band played the 'Song without Words' in E minor, and at the close of the service the final chorus from Bach's 'Passion' was sung by the choir. At night the body was conveyed to Berlin for interment in the family burial-place in the Alte Dreifaltigkeits Kirch-hof. His resting-place, marked by a cross, is beside that of his sister Fanny, whilst on the other side of him rests his boy Felix, who died four years later.
Operas, etc.:Die beiden Neffen. 1822.The Wedding of Camacho, Op. 10. 1825.The First Walpurgis Night, Op. 60. 1831-32.Son and Stranger (Heimkehr), Op. 89. 1829.Antigone, Op. 55. 1841.Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61. 1843.Athalie, Op. 74. 1843-45.Oedipus in Colonos, Op. 93. 1845.Loreley (unfinished), Op. 98. 1847.Oratorios, etc.:St. Paul, Op. 36. 1836.Hymn of Praise (Lobgesang), Op. 52. 1840.Elijah, Op. 70. 1846.Lauda Sion, Op. 73. 1846.Christus (unfinished), Op. 97. 1847.Psalms, with orchestral accompaniment:Ps. 115, Not unto us, Op. 31. 1830Ps. 42, As the Hart pants, Op. 42. 1837.Ps. 95, O come, let us sing, Op. 46. 1839.Ps. 114, When Israel out of Egypt came, Op. 51. 1839.Ps. 13, Lord, how long? Op. 96. 1840-43.Ps. 98, Sing to the Lord, Op. 91. 1843.Hear my Prayer. 1844.Hymns of Praise (Festgesang). 1840.Festgesang: To the Sons of Art, Op. 68. 1846.Te Deum in A. 1846.Jubilate, Magnificat, and Nunc Dimittis, Op. 69. 1847.3 Motets for female voices and organ, Op. 39. 1830.3 Psalms, unaccompanied, Op. 78 (Pss. 2, 43, and 22), 1844.6 short Anthems for 8-part chorus, Op. 79.18 Part-songs for male voices.28 Part-songs for mixed voices.4 Symphonies:C minor, Op. 11. 1824.D minor, The Reformation, Op. 107. 1830.A, The Italian, Op. 90. 1833.A minor, The Scotch, Op. 56. 1842.7 Overtures:Midsummer Night's Dream, in E, Op. 21. 1826.Military Band (Harmonie-musik) in C, Op. 24. 1824.Fingal's Cave, or Hebrides, in B minor, Op. 26. 1830Meerestille, in D, Op. 27. 1828.Melusine, in F, Op. 32. 1833.Ruy Blas, in C minor, Op. 95. 1839.The Trumpet, in C, Op. 101. 1825.2 Marches for Orchestra:Funeral March, in A minor, Op. 103. 1836.Cornelius, in D, Op. 108. 1841.Octet in E♭, Op. 20. 1825.2 Quintets for Strings:Op. 18, in A. 1831.Op. 87, in B♭. 1845.6 Quartets for Strings:Op. 12, in E♭. 1829.Op. 13, in A. 1827.Op. 44, Nos. 1, 2, and 3, in D, E minor, and E♭1837-38.Op. 80, in F minor. 1847.Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. 1844.2 Pianoforte Concertos:Op. 25, in G minor. 1832.Op. 40, in D minor. 1837.Sextet for pianoforte and strings, in D, Op. 110. 1824.3 Quartets for Pianoforte and Strings:Op. 1, in C minor. 1822.Op. 2, in F minor. 1823.Op. 3, in B minor. 1824-25.2 Trios for Pianoforte and Strings:Op. 49, in D minor, 1839.Op. 66, in C minor, 1845.Sonata for pianoforte and violin, in F minor, Op. 4. 1823.2 Sonatas for Pianoforte and Violoncello:Op. 45, in B♭. 1838.Op. 58, in D. 1843.3 Sonatas for Pianoforte Solo:Op. 6, in E. 1826.Op. 105, in G minor. 1820-21.Op. 106, in B♭. 1827.8 Books of Songs without Words(Lieder ohne Worte), (each book containing 6 pieces):Op. 19b. Pub. 1832.Op. 30. " 1835.Op. 38. " 1837.Op. 53. " 1841.Op. 62. " 1844.Op. 67. " 1845.Op. 85. " 1850.Op. 102. " 1868.3 Fantasias for pianoforte (Andante and Allegro, Capriccio, and Rivulet), Op, 16. 1829.17 Variations Sérieuses, Op. 54. 1841.3 Preludes and Fugues for organ, Op. 37. 1837.6 Sonatas for organ, Op. 65. 1844-45.Soprano Aria, Infelice, Op. 94. 1834.76 Songs.
Operas, etc.:
Die beiden Neffen. 1822.
The Wedding of Camacho, Op. 10. 1825.
The First Walpurgis Night, Op. 60. 1831-32.
Son and Stranger (Heimkehr), Op. 89. 1829.
Antigone, Op. 55. 1841.
Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61. 1843.
Athalie, Op. 74. 1843-45.
Oedipus in Colonos, Op. 93. 1845.
Loreley (unfinished), Op. 98. 1847.
Oratorios, etc.:
St. Paul, Op. 36. 1836.
Hymn of Praise (Lobgesang), Op. 52. 1840.
Elijah, Op. 70. 1846.
Lauda Sion, Op. 73. 1846.
Christus (unfinished), Op. 97. 1847.
Psalms, with orchestral accompaniment:
Ps. 115, Not unto us, Op. 31. 1830
Ps. 42, As the Hart pants, Op. 42. 1837.
Ps. 95, O come, let us sing, Op. 46. 1839.
Ps. 114, When Israel out of Egypt came, Op. 51. 1839.
Ps. 13, Lord, how long? Op. 96. 1840-43.
Ps. 98, Sing to the Lord, Op. 91. 1843.
Hear my Prayer. 1844.
Hymns of Praise (Festgesang). 1840.
Festgesang: To the Sons of Art, Op. 68. 1846.
Te Deum in A. 1846.
Jubilate, Magnificat, and Nunc Dimittis, Op. 69. 1847.
3 Motets for female voices and organ, Op. 39. 1830.
3 Psalms, unaccompanied, Op. 78 (Pss. 2, 43, and 22), 1844.
6 short Anthems for 8-part chorus, Op. 79.
18 Part-songs for male voices.
28 Part-songs for mixed voices.
4 Symphonies:
C minor, Op. 11. 1824.
D minor, The Reformation, Op. 107. 1830.
A, The Italian, Op. 90. 1833.
A minor, The Scotch, Op. 56. 1842.
7 Overtures:
Midsummer Night's Dream, in E, Op. 21. 1826.
Military Band (Harmonie-musik) in C, Op. 24. 1824.
Fingal's Cave, or Hebrides, in B minor, Op. 26. 1830
Meerestille, in D, Op. 27. 1828.
Melusine, in F, Op. 32. 1833.
Ruy Blas, in C minor, Op. 95. 1839.
The Trumpet, in C, Op. 101. 1825.
2 Marches for Orchestra:
Funeral March, in A minor, Op. 103. 1836.
Cornelius, in D, Op. 108. 1841.
Octet in E♭, Op. 20. 1825.
2 Quintets for Strings:
Op. 18, in A. 1831.
Op. 87, in B♭. 1845.
6 Quartets for Strings:
Op. 12, in E♭. 1829.
Op. 13, in A. 1827.
Op. 44, Nos. 1, 2, and 3, in D, E minor, and E♭1837-38.
Op. 80, in F minor. 1847.
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. 1844.
2 Pianoforte Concertos:
Op. 25, in G minor. 1832.
Op. 40, in D minor. 1837.
Sextet for pianoforte and strings, in D, Op. 110. 1824.
3 Quartets for Pianoforte and Strings:
Op. 1, in C minor. 1822.
Op. 2, in F minor. 1823.
Op. 3, in B minor. 1824-25.
2 Trios for Pianoforte and Strings:
Op. 49, in D minor, 1839.
Op. 66, in C minor, 1845.
Sonata for pianoforte and violin, in F minor, Op. 4. 1823.
2 Sonatas for Pianoforte and Violoncello:
Op. 45, in B♭. 1838.
Op. 58, in D. 1843.
3 Sonatas for Pianoforte Solo:
Op. 6, in E. 1826.
Op. 105, in G minor. 1820-21.
Op. 106, in B♭. 1827.
8 Books of Songs without Words(Lieder ohne Worte), (each book containing 6 pieces):
Op. 19b. Pub. 1832.
Op. 30. " 1835.
Op. 38. " 1837.
Op. 53. " 1841.
Op. 62. " 1844.
Op. 67. " 1845.
Op. 85. " 1850.
Op. 102. " 1868.
3 Fantasias for pianoforte (Andante and Allegro, Capriccio, and Rivulet), Op, 16. 1829.
17 Variations Sérieuses, Op. 54. 1841.
3 Preludes and Fugues for organ, Op. 37. 1837.
6 Sonatas for organ, Op. 65. 1844-45.
Soprano Aria, Infelice, Op. 94. 1834.
76 Songs.
[29]Sir G. Macfarren.
[29]Sir G. Macfarren.
[30]No. 103, but since renumbered 79.
[30]No. 103, but since renumbered 79.
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