Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 01 | A Charmed Childhood | 20090126 | Donald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's formative years, leading up to an unprecedented chamber masterpiece - the Octet in E flat. Mendelssohn grew up in a wealthy, privileged environment, and his musical talent was nurtured by his parents and a series of distinguished teachers. The result - a prolific number of accomplished works by the age of 16. Part of Radio 3's Composers of the Year 2009 season. Leicht und luftig (Seven Characteristic Pieces, Op 7) Benjamin Frith (piano) Naxos 8.553541 - Tr 10 String Symphony No 1 Concerto Koln Teldec 4509-98435-2 - CD1 Trs 4-6 Bogy's Aria (Die Beiden Padagogen) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (bass-baritone) Munchener Rundfunkorchester Heinz Wallberg (conductor) CPO 9995502 - CD1 Tr 10 Octet in E flat, Op 20 Royal String Quartet Psophos Quartet BBC Recording. Donald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's formative years leading up to his Octet in E flat. | |
| 2009 | 02 | Siblings And Songs | 20090127 | In the 1820s, the Mendelssohn household was a hive of conversational, intellectual and creative activity. Felix and his siblings, Fanny, Rebecka and Paul, shared a happy, magical childhood. Donald Macleod looks at the impact this closeness had on Felix Mendelssohn's compositions. Part of Radio 3's Composers of the Year 2009 season. Overture (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century Frans Bruggen (director) Glossa GCD921101 CD1 t1 Fanny Mendelssohn: When I look into your eyes Sophie Daneman (soprano) Sarah Connolly (mezzo-soprano) Eugene Asti (piano) Hyperion CDA67388 CD1 t5 Neue Liebe/New Love Barbara Bonney (soprano) Geoffrey Parsons (piano) Teldec 2292449462 CD1 t18 Songs without Words (excerpts) Daniel Barenboim (piano) Deutsche Grammophon 2531260 CD1 t 3 & 9: CD2 T6 and 10 Cello Sonata No 2 Steven Isserlis (cello) Melvyn Tan (fortepiano) RCA 09026625532 CD1 t15-18. Donald Macleod on the impact Mendelssohn's closeness to his family had on his compositions | |
| 2009 | 03 | The Composer's Voice: Private Passions | 20090128 | _____________ This programme is truncated in iPlayer because of a fault. We apologise for the disappointment and any inconvenience caused. Donald Macleod considers how Mendelssohn took inspiration for his music from women, wine and the wild wonder of Fingal's Cave. With a strong romantic spirit, he composed works of great passion, often in the intimate world of chamber music. Part of Radio 3's Composers of the Year 2009 season. Rondo Capriccioso, Op 14 Murray Perahia (piano) CBS CD42401 CD1 t9 Hebrides Overture, Op 26 Scottish Chamber Orchestra Joseph Swensen (conductor) Linn CKD205 CD1 t1 Ersatz fur Unbestand (Two drinking songs) Lob der Trunkenheit Die Singphoniker CPO 999 091-2 CD1 t 9 and 21 Piano Trio No 1 in D minor, Op 49 Isaac Stern (violin) Leonard Rose (cello) Eugene Istomin (piano) Sony Classical SMK64519 CD1 t 1-4. Donald Macleod explores how Mendelssohn took inspiration for his music from women and wine | |
| 2009 | 04 | Revivals, Revisions And Religion | 20090129 | Throughout his life Mendelssohn championed the music of his predecessors, including a remarkable revival of Bach's St Matthew Passion in 1829. Donald Macleod investigates this driving force, as well as Mendelssohn's obsessive revisions of his own compositions. Part of Radio 3's Composers of the Year 2009 season. O Mensch, bewein dein Sunde gross (Bach: St Matthew Passion, arr. Mendelssohn) Chorus Musicus Das Neue Orchester Christoph Spering (conductor) Opus 111 CD1 t24 Prelude and Fugue in E minor, Op 35 Benjamin Frith (piano) Naxos 8.550939 CD1 t 1 and 2 Symphony No 4, Op 90 (Italian - Revised 1834 version with first movement from original version) Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra John Eliot Gardiner (conductor) Deutsche Grammophon 4591562 CD1 t 1,9,10,11 Thanks be to God! (Elijah) Edinburgh Festival Chorus David Jones (chorus master) Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Paul Daniel (conductor) Decca 4556882 CD1 t22. Donald Macleod on Mendelssohn's interest in Bach's music and revisions of his own work. | |
| 2009 | 05 LAST | The Eclipse Of Music | 20090130 | The musical world described Mendelssohn's death as 'the eclipse of music', yet the posthumous attitude to his work has often been derogatory. Donald Macleod charts the composer's final years, from the death of his beloved sister, Fanny, to his own in 1847 and his remarkable legacy, exemplified by his Violin Concerto in E minor. Part of Radio 3's Composers of the Year 2009 season. Fanny Mendelssohn: Bergeslust, Op 10, No 5 Susan Gritton (soprano) Eugene Asti (piano) Hyperion CDA 67110 CD1 t29 String Quartet in F minor, Op 80 Melos Quartet Deutsche Grammophon 4158832 CD1 tracks 9-12 Violin Concerto in E minor, Op 64 Nikolaj Znaider Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta (conductor) RCA 82876692172 CD1 tracks 1-3. Donald Macleod charts Mendelssohn's final years and his remarkable legacy. | |
| 2011 | 01 | 20110418 | 20121105 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores Felix Mendelssohn's last seven years, starting with his appointment in 1841 to the post of Royal Prussian Kapellmeister in his home town of Berlin. For the previous six years Mendelssohn had been based in Leipzig, as director of the Gewandhaus Concerts. He had been spectacularly successful, turning the orchestra there into one of the finest in Europe - and thereby making himself an attractive prospect for neighbouring rulers to poach. The new king of Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm IV, wanted to make Berlin a cultural centre to be reckoned with, and had decided that Mendelssohn was the man for the job. After six months of strenuous but largely unsuccessful attempts to hammer out the responsibilities of his post, Mendelssohn was offered a lucrative one-year contract on a pretty much take-it-or-leave-it basis; he took it, but the job remained ill-defined and he grew increasingly frustrated - not least with the lack of any progress whatsoever on the proposed new Berlin Conservatory, the creation of which had been a major carrot during the negotiations. Mendelssohn's incidental music to Sophocles' Antigone is one of the few fruits of this first Berlin post; but at least he had plenty of time to get to grips with the composition of his 'Scottish' Symphony, the seeds of which had been sown during his visit to the ruins of Queen Mary's palace of Holyrood in 1829. On hearing the symphony, one contemporary critic astutely commented, 'we may prophesy that it will rouse pure feeling of pleasure everywhere'. Producer: Chris Barstow. Donald Macleod explores Felix Mendelssohn's last seven years. | |
| 2011 | 02 | 20110419 | 20121106 (R3) | Donald Macleod continues his exploration of Mendelssohn's last seven years. Christmas 1842 must have been a bleak one in the Mendelssohn household; on 12 December the composer's mother, Lea, had died. Wealthy, cultured, intelligent and larger than life, Lea Mendelssohn had presided over a salon frequented by some of the greatest minds of the day. Mendelssohn's father, Abraham, had died some years earlier, so as the composer now wrote to his brother Paul: 'We are children no longer.' Understandably, fresh composition was difficult, and he started the new year by revising an old work - Die Erste Walpurgisnacht. Then there was a series of concerts to conduct in Berlin, along with the none-too-onerous 'duties' of his new, resounding-sounding appointment as Generalmusikdirector für kirchliche und geistliche Musik - although this did result in the incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream. When he had negotiated his new contract with the Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm IV, it had been agreed that Mendelssohn could spend part of 1843 in his old stamping-ground, Leipzig. On his arrival there he was promptly offered the job of Director of Music to the Saxon court - he declined, but managed to persuade King Frederick Augustus III to establish a new music conservatory in the city. He also conducted a series of eight subscription concerts, was granted the Freedom of the city of Leipzig, and unveiled a monument to his musical hero, J S Bach. Back in Berlin, he was driven up the wall by the Prussian government's shilly-shallying over the conditions attached to his new post in charge of church music. He worked off some of his frustration in paint - not just a prodigious composer, he was a talented artist as well - and in the composition of his exuberant 2nd Cello Sonata. | |
| 2011 | 03 | 20110420 | 20121107 (R3) | Donald Macleod continues his exploration of Mendelssohn's last seven years with a look at the year 1844. Towards the end of the previous year the composer had finally, after months of wrangling, taken up his new appointment as Director of Sacred Music in Berlin. In the event, he found it impossible to work with the court chaplain, Friedrich Adolf Strauss, and ended up providing music for just four services - Christmas, New Year's Day, Passion Sunday and Good Friday. It doubtless came as a great relief to him to return, in the spring, to a city he had first visited in 1829 - London, or 'that smoky nest', as he fondly called it. He had agreed to help out the Philharmonic Society, whose finances were in a bad way, by conducting a few concerts for them. The headache induced by a seven-hour rehearsal meant that he had to turn down an invitation to visit Charles Babbage of Difference Engine fame, but Mendelssohn did get to meet Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray, who pronounced his face: 'the most beautiful ...I ever saw, like what I imagine our Saviour's to have been...' His stay was crowned by an audience with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It was also during this visit that he composed one of his best-known works - Hear My Prayer, whose second section opens with the line that has given the piece its popular name: 'O for the wings of a dove'. Another of Mendelssohn's most popular creations dates from autumn of the same year - the Violin Concerto, written for his old friend Ferdinand David. David played the premi耀re on his 1742 Guarneri del Gesu violin, which later passed to Jascha Heifetz, who plays it on the recording you'll hear in the programme. Donald Macleod continues a focus on Mendelssohn's last seven years with a look at 1844. | |
| 2011 | 04 | 20110421 | 20121108 (R3) | Donald Macleod continues his exploration of Mendelssohn's last seven years. In October 1844, the composer took the bull by the horns in an audience with his royal employer Friedrich Wilhelm IV, the King of Prussia, and asked to be released from his service to the crown - a grand-sounding, but in practice rather vague position, which had been a source of immense frustration and disappointment to the composer. His request was granted - more or less. Mendelssohn would no longer be required to live in Berlin, and there'd be no fixed duties to perform; just the occasional royal commission. One such commission was to supply incidental music for a performance of Racine's play Athalie (as Donald suggests, the full-blooded choruses give tantalizing glimpses of the opera Mendelssohn might have composed, had he lived long enough). Early in 1845 came a request out of the blue from the other side of the world - the newly-created New York Philharmonic Society was inviting him to go to the United States to conduct a 'Grand Musical Festival', with an orchestra of 250 and chorus of 500 at his disposal. Mendelssohn declined - he didn't feel his health would be up to such a long and arduous trip, and he told his brother Paul that undertaking such a venture would be 'no more possible than a trip to the moon'. Instead, he composed a set of six small but perfectly formed organ sonatas for the British publisher Charles Coventry, and worked on his highly virtuosic 2nd Piano Trio, written in Frankfurt during a freak flood of the River Main; perhaps that's reflected in the stormy opening of the trio's first movement! Donald Macleod explores Felix Mendelssohn's last seven years. | |
| 2011 | 05 LAST | 20110422 | 20121109 (R3) | Donald Macleod concludes his exploration of Mendelssohn's last seven years with a look at the genesis of his oratorio Elijah, whose popularity in Victorian England was second only to that of Handel's Messiah - certainly not a claim that could be made today, when it tends to be regarded as the height of kitsch. In 1846, the city of Birmingham invited Mendelssohn to take charge of its music festival. He turned the job down, but agreed instead to compose an oratorio for the festival. After the earlier success of his oratorio St Paul, Mendelssohn had considered composing an Elijah; the Birmingham commission prompted him to return to this idea, which he'd had on the back burner for the past 10 years. The first performance was a huge success - 'Never was there a more complete triumph!', as The Times put it - but Mendelssohn wasn't completely satisfied, and immediately set about overhauling the work for the London premi耀re the following year. According to a contemporary report it was met with a 'long-continued unanimous volley of plaudits, vociferous and deafening applause.' Mendelssohn's elation, however, was short-lived. On his return to Germany he was met by a letter from his brother Paul, telling him that their beloved sister Fanny had suffered a series of strokes and died - while rehearsing one of his pieces. Mendelssohn remained in a state of emotional collapse for some time, but when he was able to compose again he poured his grief out in his anguished 6th String Quartet - the last major work he completed before his own death, just two months later. Donald Macleod explores the success of Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah. | |
| 2014 | 01 | Mendelssohn In Britain | 20140310 | 20150608 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's connections with Britain. Felix Mendelssohn had a remarkable, if brief career, cut short at the age of just 38 in 1847. He was born into an exceptional family. His grandfather Moses was a much respected Jewish philosopher, while his father Abraham, a wealthy Jewish banker and his mother Lea, a cultivated, musical woman had the standing and means to provide their four children with every opportunity Berlin society could offer. Only a handful of composers can match Mendelssohn's precocious talent. A child prodigy, famously likened by his friend Robert Schumann to Mozart, Felix's public career began at the age of 9. Between the ages of 11 and 15, he wrote 13 strings symphonies, 5 concertos, 4 operas, chamber music, piano and organ pieces, solo songs and choral pieces. Across the week Donald explores the musical treasures inspired by these formative years. Few composers can have received a warmer welcome in Britain than Felix Mendelssohn. He owes one of his biggest successes, 'Elijah' to the warm reception it received from the British public. He arrived for what would be the first of many visits in 1829. After a very rough crossing during which he endured terrible sea-sickness, his first destination was London, where he put up in rented rooms at 103 Great Portland Street, just around the corner from the BBC's Broadcasting House. Armed with a set of visiting cards to which the English 'Mr.' had been added, he cut an elegant figure in London society, enjoying great success as a conductor, pianist and composer. Having charmed the English, Mendelssohn travelled to Scotland, where a trip to the Hebridean island of Staffa inspired one of his best loved overtures. Symphony no.3 in A minor, op.56: Vivace non troppo (2nd movement) London Symphony Orchestra Claudio Abbado (conductor) Erntelied (folksong) Op 8, no 4. Sophie Daneman (soprano) Eugene Asti (piano) Capriccio brilliant, op.22 Ronald Brautigam (piano) Amesterdam Sinfonietta Lev Markiz (conductor) Elijah (1846 version): Overture and excerpt from Part 1 Robert Murray, tenor (Obadiah) Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir, Gabrieli Young Singers' Scheme, Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh (director) Hebrides Overture Claudio Abbado (conductor). |
| 2014 | 02 | The Musical Mendelssohns | 20140311 | 20150609 (R3) | Donald Macleod marvels over the scale of the Mendelssohn family's music-making. Felix Mendelssohn had a remarkable, if brief career, cut short at the age of just 38 in 1847. He was born into an exceptional family. His grandfather Moses was a much respected Jewish philosopher, while his father Abraham, a wealthy Jewish banker and his mother Lea, a cultivated, musical woman had the standing and means to provide their four children with every opportunity Berlin society could offer. Only a handful of composers can match Mendelssohn's precocious talent. A child prodigy, famously likened by his friend Robert Schumann to Mozart, Felix's public career began at the age of 9. Between the ages of 11 and 15, he wrote 13 strings symphonies, 5 concertos, 4 operas, chamber music, piano and organ pieces, solo songs and choral pieces. Across the week Donald explores the musical treasures inspired by these formative years. Today, Donald Macleod examines the rich cultural surroundings in which Felix Mendelssohn grew up. Beginning around 1821, the family mounted 'Sunday musicales' in their substantial home. At these concerts, Felix and elder sister Fanny were able to present their latest compositions to the movers and shakers of Berlin society. Variations concertantes, Op.17 Steven Isserlis (cello) Melvyn Tan (fortepiano) Concerto in A minor for Piano and String Orchestra, 1st movement Ronald Brautigam (piano) Amsterdam Sinfonietta Lev Markiz (conductor) Octet, First movement: Allegro moderato, ma con fuoco Nash Ensemble Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream Orchestre des Champs Elys退es Philippe Herreweghe (director). Donald Macleod discusses the Mendelssohn family's extensive music-making. |
| 2014 | 03 | The Mozart Of The 19th Century | 20140312 | 20150610 (R3) | Felix Mendelssohn had a remarkable, if brief career, cut short at the age of just 38 in 1847. He was born into an exceptional family. His grandfather Moses was a much respected Jewish philosopher, while his father Abraham, a wealthy Jewish banker and his mother Lea, a cultivated, musical woman had the standing and means to provide their four children with every opportunity Berlin society could offer. Only a handful of composers can match Mendelssohn's precocious talent. A child prodigy, famously likened by his friend Robert Schumann to Mozart, Felix's public career began at the age of 9. Between the ages of 11 and 15, he wrote 13 strings symphonies, 5 concertos, 4 operas, chamber music, piano and organ pieces, solo songs and choral pieces. Across the week Donald explores the musical treasures inspired by these formative years. Mendelssohn's education was nothing if not thorough. From the age of nine, a long list of tutors arrived at the family home to teach a comprehensive list of subjects ranging from Latin to geography but perhaps the man who was to have the most profound influence over him in his early years was Carl Zelter, the director of Singakademie. Today Donald Macleod looks at Mendelssohn's early training. Herr, Der Du Bist Der Gott' (St. Paul, Part 1) Choruses of the Chapelle Royale and Collegium Vocale Champs-ɀlys退es Orchestra Philippe Herreweghe (director) String Symphony no.12 (1st movement: Fuga. Grave-Allegro) London Festival Orchestra Ross Pople (conductor) Hexenlied, Op.8 no. 8 Margaret Price (soprano) Graham Johnson (piano) Rondo Brillant, Op.29 Stephen Hough (piano) Meerestille und glückliche Fahrt, Op.27 London Symphony Orchestra Claudio Abbado (conductor) Gott, sei mir gn䀀dig nach deiner Güte Ich Danke Dir, Herr, Mein Gott' (St. Paul, Part 1) Matthias Goerne (bass) Philippe Herreweghe (director). Donald Macleod on the influence Mendelssohn's education had on his outlook and music. |
| 2014 | 04 | The Land Where The Lemon Trees Grow | 20140313 | 20150611 (R3) | Felix Mendelssohn had a remarkable, if brief career, cut short at the age of just 38 in 1847. He was born into an exceptional family. His grandfather Moses was a much respected Jewish philosopher, while his father Abraham, a wealthy Jewish banker and his mother Lea, a cultivated, musical woman had the standing and means to provide their four children with every opportunity Berlin society could offer. Only a handful of composers can match Mendelssohn's precocious talent. A child prodigy, famously likened by his friend Robert Schumann to Mozart, Felix's public career began at the age of 9. Between the ages of 11 and 15, he wrote 13 strings symphonies, 5 concertos, 4 operas, chamber music, piano and organ pieces, solo songs and choral pieces. Across the week Donald explores the musical treasures inspired by these formative years. Growing up in the nineteenth century, part of a young man's experience was an extensive period of travel. Having won over the great man of letters, Goethe, a few years earlier, armed with a reputation that ensured a warm welcome wherever he went, in 1829 Mendelssohn left his teenage years well and truly behind him. He spread his wings on a trip that would occupy him for the best part of three years. Wherever he went he collected impressions, among them the material for his so-called 'Italian' symphony, which he said was going to be, 'the jolliest piece I have ever done'! With Donald Macleod. Erster Verlust, op.99 no 1 (1841) (Goethe) Margaret Price (soprano) Graham Johnson (piano) Piano Concerto no.1 in G minor, op.25: Third movement, Presto-Molto Allegro e vivace Stephen Hough (piano) City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Lawrence Foster (conductor) Symphony no.4 in A major, op.90 Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Andrew Litton (conductor) Die erste Walpurgisnacht, Op.60 (Kommt mit Zacken und mit Gabeln...Die Flamme reinigt sich vom Rauch) Matthias H怀lle, Druid watchman (bass) Anton Scharinger, Priest (baritone) Deon van der Walt, Christian watchman (tenor) Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Claus-Peter Flor (conductor). Donald Macleod explores the musical fruits of Mendelssohn's travels. |
| 2014 | 05 LAST | The Rise, Fall And Rise Of Mendelssohn | 20140314 | 20150612 (R3) | Felix Mendelssohn had a remarkable, if brief career, cut short at the age of just 38 in 1847. He was born into an exceptional family. His grandfather Moses was a much respected Jewish philosopher, while his father Abraham, a wealthy Jewish banker and his mother Lea, a cultivated, musical woman had the standing and means to provide their four children with every opportunity Berlin society could offer. Only a handful of composers can match Mendelssohn's precocious talent. A child prodigy, famously likened by his friend Robert Schumann to Mozart, Felix's public career began at the age of 9. Between the ages of 11 and 15, he wrote 13 strings symphonies, 5 concertos, 4 operas, chamber music, piano and organ pieces, solo songs and choral pieces. Across the week Donald explores the musical treasures inspired by these formative years. After spending the week in the company of the young Mendelssohn, in the final chapter of his survey, Donald Macleod looks at the rather bumpier ride Mendelssohn's reputation was given in the years after his death, before the reassessment he's enjoying in our own century. O for the Wings of a Dove (Hear My Prayer) Ernest Lough (treble) Temple Church Choir Sir George Thalben-Ball (organ and director) Piano Trio Op.49 In D Minor (1st movement) Fortepianotrio Florestan Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64 James Ehnes (violin) Philharmonia Orchestra Vladimir Ashkenazy (conductor) String Quartet no 6 in F minor, Op.80 (1st movement: Allegro vivace assai- Presto) Elias Quartet Songs Without Words Book 3, Op. 38/6 Songs Without Words Book 6, Op. 67/4 Murray Perahia (piano). Donald Macleod focuses on the changing tides of Mendelssohn's posthumous reputation. |
| 2016 | 01 | A Family Holiday | 20160822 | 20171002 (R3) | Donald Macleod places the teenage Mendelssohn's exceptional talent in music alongside his abilities as a keen amateur landscape artist, including extracts from his youthful Octet and Concerto in D minor for strings. Few of us can readily lay claim to the descriptions polymath and polyglot. Felix Mendelssohn could. A child prodigy, likened by his contemporaries to Mozart, he was an accomplished composer, performer, conductor and musicologist. Beyond music, Mendelssohn was extremely knowledgeable about poetry, classical studies, theology, languages, painting and drawing. Indeed, he enjoyed art so much he continued to produce sketches, drawings and paintings as a pastime almost to the very end of his life. While he died aged only 38 in 1847, in addition to manuscripts, a considerable collection of his artwork has been preserved. The biggest collection of Mendelssohn's biographical archive resides in the University of Oxford's Bodleian Libraries. This week, with Mendelssohn expert Peter Ward Jones as his guide, Donald Macleod opens up Mendelssohn's sketchbooks to find out what captured the composer's imagination alongside music. Already making a name as a composer, in 1822 Mendelssohn produced some 40 odd sketches on a three month holiday. Being left behind when the family convoy of carriages set off from Potsdam doesn't appear to have dampened the thirteen year old's spirit. Arriving in Switzerland, Mendelssohn was inspired, as Turner had been before him by the sight of the Rigi Kulm. You can see sketches and drawings featured in this week's programme on the Radio 3 website. Songs without words, Book 1, Op 19, No 1 Martin Jones, piano Octet (Scherzo) Daniel Hope, Lucy Gould, Sophie Besan瀀on, Christian Eisenberger, violins Pascal Siffert, Steward Eaton, violas William Conway, Kate Gould, cellos String Symphony No 6 in E flat major Amsterdam Sinfonietta Lev Markiz, conductor Piano Quartet in C minor, Op 1 (4th movement) Schubert Ensemble Concerto in D minor for violin, piano and strings (1st movement) Polinka Leschenko, piano Richard Tognetti, violin Australian Chamber Orchestra. Exploring a teenage Mendelssohn's music and sketches from a family holiday in Switzerland. |
| 2016 | 02 | 1829, Rain And Mists | 20160823 | 20171003 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores the artistic results of Mendelssohn's visit to Scotland, including the Hebrides Overture and a sketch of the Falls at Dunkeld. Few of us can readily lay claim to the descriptions polymath and polyglot. Felix Mendelssohn could. A child prodigy, likened by his contemporaries to Mozart, he was an accomplished composer, performer, conductor and musicologist. Beyond music, Mendelssohn was extremely knowledgeable about poetry, classical studies, theology, languages, painting and drawing. Indeed, he enjoyed art so much he continued to produce sketches, drawings and paintings as a pastime almost to the very end of his life. While he died aged only 38 in 1847, in addition to manuscripts, a considerable collection of his artwork has been preserved. The biggest collection of Mendelssohn's biographical archive resides in the University of Oxford's Bodleian Libraries. This week, with Mendelssohn expert Peter Ward Jones as his guide, Donald Macleod opens up Mendelssohn's sketchbooks to find out what captured the composer's imagination alongside music. Mendelssohn's 1829 tour of Scotland is recorded in a series of memorable sketches. The weather was particularly bad, so much so that he developed a different pencil technique in his attempts to capture the cloudy skies and swirling mists. But his visit to Fingal's cave is preserved only in music. The crossing was so rough, and he was so sea-sick, he was unable to produce a sketch. You can see sketches and drawings featured in this week's programme on the Radio 3 website. String Quartet in E flat major Op 12 (Canzonetta: Allegro) Emerson Quartet City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Edward Gardner, conductor Scottish Songs Hannah Morrison, soprano James Rutherford, baritone Eugene Asti, piano Fantasy for piano in F sharp minor Howard Shelley, piano Reformation Symphony (1st movement) London Symphony Orchestra John Eliot Gardiner, conductor. Donald Macleod explores the artistic results of Mendelssohn's visit to Scotland. |
| 2016 | 03 | The Land Of Art | 20160824 | 20171004 (R3) | The sights and sounds of Italy stimulate Mendelssohn's creative mind. Including part of the Italian Symphony and Surrexit pastor bonus. Few of us can readily lay claim to the descriptions polymath and polyglot. Felix Mendelssohn could. A child prodigy, likened by his contemporaries to Mozart, he was an accomplished composer, performer, conductor and musicologist. Beyond music, Mendelssohn was extremely knowledgeable about poetry, classical studies, theology, languages, painting and drawing. Indeed, he enjoyed art so much he continued to produce sketches, drawings and paintings as a pastime almost to the very end of his life. While he died aged only 38 in 1847, in addition to manuscripts, a considerable collection of his artwork has been preserved. The biggest collection of Mendelssohn's biographical archive resides in the University of Oxford's Bodleian Libraries. This week, with Mendelssohn expert Peter Ward Jones as his guide, Donald Macleod opens up Mendelssohn's sketchbooks to find out what captured the composer's imagination alongside music. Today, we join Mendelssohn in 1830-31 on the Italian leg of his Grand Tour. His itinerary included plenty of time for a romantic encounter, and soaking up art treasures and sketching, so much so that he seems to have done rather more drawing and painting than composing. Presented by Donald Macleod. You can see sketches and drawings featured in this week's programme on the Radio 3 website. Rondo capriccioso, Op 14 Howard Shelley, piano Ferne, Op 9 No 9 Sophie Daneman, soprano Eugene Asti, piano Surrexit pastor bonus, Op 39 Stuttgart Chamber Choir Frieder Bernius, conductor Sontraud Engels-Benz, organ Piano Concerto in G minor, Op 25 Ronald Brautigam, piano Amsterdam Sinfonietta Lev Markiz, conductor. How the sights and sounds of Italy stimulated Mendelssohn's creative mind. |
| 2016 | 04 | Toothache And Marriage | 20160825 | 20171005 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores the Mendelssohn's honeymoon sketchbook. Including the Violin Concerto in E minor. Few of us can readily lay claim to the descriptions polymath and polyglot. Felix Mendelssohn could. A child prodigy, likened by his contemporaries to Mozart, he was an accomplished composer, performer, conductor and musicologist. Beyond music, Mendelssohn was extremely knowledgeable about poetry, classical studies, theology, languages, painting and drawing. Indeed, he enjoyed art so much he continued to produce sketches, drawings and paintings as a pastime almost to the very end of his life. While he died aged only 38 in 1847, in addition to manuscripts, a considerable collection of his artwork has been preserved. The biggest collection of Mendelssohn's biographical archive resides in the University of Oxford's Bodleian Libraries. This week, with Mendelssohn expert Peter Ward Jones as his guide, Donald Macleod opens up Mendelssohn's sketchbooks to find out what captured the composer's imagination alongside music. Pictures of long climbs, sight seeing trips, even the tooth that Felix's new wife C䀀cilie had to have drawn, are all charmingly recorded in the Mendelssohn's honeymoon diary, plus one of the few watercolour paintings done by Mendelssohn, detailing the vegetable market at The Hague. You can see sketches and drawings featured in this week's programme on the Radio 3 website. Paulus, Op 36 (excerpt) Maria Cristina Kiehr, soprano Duetsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen Frieder Bernius Lied in A major Howard Shelley, piano String Quartet in E minor Op 44 No 2 (1st movement) Henschel Quartet Prelude and Fugue in D major, Op 35 Violin Concerto in E minor, Op 64 James Ehnes, violin Philharmonia Orchestra Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor. Donald Macleod explores the Mendelssohns' honeymoon sketchbook. |
| 2016 | 05 LAST | High Society | 20160826 | 20171006 (R3) | Donald Macleod assesses Mendelssohn's abilities as a portraitist, including excerpts from the London version of the Scottish Symphony and the Opus 44 Piano Trio. Few of us can readily lay claim to the descriptions polymath and polyglot. Felix Mendelssohn could. A child prodigy, likened by his contemporaries to Mozart, he was an accomplished composer, performer, conductor and musicologist. Beyond music, Mendelssohn was extremely knowledgeable about poetry, classical studies, theology, languages, painting and drawing. Indeed, he enjoyed art so much he continued to produce sketches, drawings and paintings as a pastime almost to the very end of his life. While he died aged only 38 in 1847, in addition to manuscripts, a considerable collection of his artwork has been preserved. The biggest collection of Mendelssohn's biographical archive resides in the University of Oxford's Bodleian Libraries. This week, with Mendelssohn expert Peter Ward Jones as his guide, Donald Macleod opens up Mendelssohn's sketchbooks to find out what captured the composer's imagination alongside music. Given the number of Mendelssohn's sketches, drawings and paintings, it's perhaps surprising that there aren't more portraits. In fact Mendelssohn, brilliant as he was, had an area which he perceived as being weak. He felt he wasn't good at drawing people. You can judge for yourself as Mendelssohn's sketch of a boy is available on the Radio 3 website along with some of the others featured in this week's programmes. Songs Without Words, Book 5, Op 62 No 6 Martin Jones, piano O for the Wings of a Dove Jeremy Budd, treble Choir of St Paul's Cathedral Andrew Lucas, organ John Scott, director Symphony No 3 in A minor, Op 38 (Scottish) (1st movement) Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra Riccardo Chailly, conductor Elijah, excerpt from Part 2 Simon Keenlyside, baritone Rosemary Joshua, soprano Robert Murray, tenor Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir Gabrieli Young Singers Scheme Gabrieli Consort and Players William Whitehead, organ Paul McCreesh, conductor Piano Trio No 1 in D minor, Op 49 (1st movement) Fournier Trio. Donald Macleod assesses Mendelssohn's abilities as a portraitist. |
| 2019 | 01 | Mendelssohn In Mozart's Shadow | 20190107 | 20191125 (R3) | Donald Macleod delves into the impact of Mozart upon Mendelssohn's life and music In Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod journeys through the life of Felix Mendelssohn, exploring in particular a number of influences upon the composer's works. Mendelssohn was a leading figure of German music in his day, and became something of an international celebrity. He was at the very forefront of music making during the 1830s and 1840s, as a composer, conductor, pianist and organist. He began as a highly gifted and versatile prodigy, and rose to become one of Germany's first rank composers of the early romantic period. He composed music in many genres including concertos, oratorios, symphonies, songs and chamber music. Amongst some of his most famous works are the highly evocative and dramatic overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, and his mature and richly romantic Violin Concerto. Felix Mendelssohn's early life has many similarities with the early life of Mozart. Both were brilliant performers on the piano and the violin. They both started writing music at a very young age. Mozart and Mendelssohn both had hugely talented sisters, but their fathers played very different roles. Whereas Mozart's father was very much the driving force in his son's life and career, for Mendelssohn this authority largely came from his teacher Carl Friedrich Zelter. Zelter encouraged his pupil to learn from the music of Mozart, and so many of Mendelssohn's early compositions have a distinct trace of Mozart. The famous writer Goethe had met Mozart, seeing him perform a number of exercises as a young boy. When he met Mendelssohn some years later, he put the lad through many similar tests to compare the two. This comparison with Mozart would continue throughout Mendelssohn's life and beyond. Many years after his death, the conductor Hans von Bulow said that if you want to perform Mendelssohn correctly, you must first play Mozart. Die beiden Padagogen (Overture) Munchner Radio Orchestra Heinz Wallberg, conductor Die beiden Padagogen (Probatum est, dies ruf ich mir) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone (Bogy) Duo Sonata in G minor Duo Lontano Babette Hierholzer, piano Jurgen Appell, piano Piano Quartet No 2 in F minor, Op 2 (Allegro molto vivace) Domus Krysia Osotowicz, violin Timothy Boulton, viola Richard Lester, cello Susan Tomes, piano Concerto in A minor for piano and string orchestra Ronald Brautigam, piano Amsterdam Sinfonietta Lev Markiz, conductor Donald Macleod explores the impact of Mozart upon Mendelssohn. |
| 2019 | 02 | Mendelssohn Is Inspired, By Italy | 20190108 | 20191126 (R3) | Donald Macleod journeys with Mendelssohn through his travels in Italy. In Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod journeys through the life of Felix Mendelssohn, exploring in particular a number of influences upon the composer's works. Mendelssohn was a leading figure of German music in his day, and became something of an international celebrity. He was at the very forefront of music making during the 1830s and 1840s, as a composer, conductor, pianist and organist. He began as a highly gifted and versatile prodigy, and rose to become one of Germany's first rank composers of the early romantic period. He composed music in many genres including concertos, oratorios, symphonies, songs and chamber music. Amongst some of his most famous works, are the highly evocative and dramatic overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, and his mature and richly romantic Violin Concerto. Mendelssohn composed a number of works whilst on his Grand Tour of Italy. At the start of the 1830s he visited many of the iconic Italian destinations such as Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Milan. This visit to Italy can be heard in a number of his works from the time, including his song of a Venetian Gondolier for solo piano, to his Italian Symphony. Yet, although Mendelssohn found the art, architecture and landscape of Italy to be hugely inspiring, he didn't rate the quality of music making there. During Holy Week in Rome he enjoyed listening to the Papal choir, but by and large he found musical standards in Italy very low at the time. On one occasion Mendelssohn fled from a church to escape the lamentable playing of the organist. Lieder ohne Worte, Op 19B No 6 (Venetianisches Gondellied) Howard Shelley, piano Psalm 115 Non nobis Domine, Op 31 Annemarie Kremer, soprano Daniel Sans, tenor Manfred Bittner, bass Chamber Choir of Europe Wurttembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen Nicol Matt, conductor Nachspiel in D major Olivier Vernet, organ Symphony No 4 in A major, Op 90 (Italian) Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra John Elliot Gardiner, conductor Donald Macleod journeys with Mendelssohn through Italy. |
| 2019 | 03 | Mendelssohn, The Champion Of Bach | 20190109 | 20191127 (R3) | Donald Macleod delves into the impact of Bach upon Felix Mendelssohn. In Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod journeys through the life of Felix Mendelssohn, exploring in particular a number of influences upon the composer's works. Mendelssohn was a leading figure of German music in his day, and became something of an international celebrity. He was at the very forefront of music making during the 1830s and 1840s, as a composer, conductor, pianist and organist. He began as a highly gifted and versatile prodigy, and rose to become one of Germany's first rank composers of the early romantic period. He composed music in many genres including concertos, oratorios, symphonies, songs and chamber music. Amongst some of his most famous works, are the highly evocative and dramatic overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, and his mature and richly romantic Violin Concerto. Mainly through his teacher Zelter, Mendelssohn had been introduced to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach from a very young age. A number of his early works display a distinct trace of the baroque master. Mendelssohn had a drive and enthusiasm for Bach, and he was determined that as a conductor he should bring Bach's music to a wider audience. Mendelssohn helped to resurrect Bach's St Matthew Passion from obscurity, and its performance in the late 1820s led to a regeneration and interest in oratorio. Partly through his work championing Bach, Mendelssohn was hailed as a cultural leader of a nation. His own oratorios demonstrate the influence of Bach and Handel, although one of his friends criticised Mendelssohn for falling into bad habits and involuntarily copying Bach in his work Elijah. String Symphony No 5 in B flat major (Allegro vivace) Amsterdam Sinfonietta Lev Markiz, conductor Prelude and Fugue No 1 in E minor, Op 35 Howard Shelley, piano Paulus, Op 36 (Rise! Up! Arise!) Barry Banks, tenor Peter-Coleman-Wright, bass (Paul) BBC National Chorus of Wales BBC National Orchestra of Wales Richard Hickox, conductor Organ Sonata in C minor, No 2 Op 65 William Whithead, organ Elijah, Op 70 (It is enough) Willard White, bass-baritone (Elijah) Rosalind Plowright, soprano (Angel) Linda Finnie, mezzo-soprano (Angel) Jeremy Budd, tenor (Youth) London Symphony Orchestra Donald Macleod delves into Mendelssohn's association with Bach. |
| 2019 | 04 | Mendelssohn, The London Celebrity | 20190110 | 20191128 (R3) | Donald Macleod delves into Felix Mendelssohn's popularity in London In Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod journeys through the life of Felix Mendelssohn, exploring in particular a number of influences upon the composer's works. Mendelssohn was a leading figure of German music in his day, and became something of an international celebrity. He was at the very forefront of music making during the 1830s and 1840s, as a composer, conductor, pianist and organist. He began as a highly gifted and versatile prodigy, and rose to become one of Germany's first rank composers of the early romantic period. He composed music in many genres including concertos, oratorios, symphonies, songs and chamber music. Amongst some of his most famous works, are the highly evocative and dramatic overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, and his mature and richly romantic Violin Concerto. Felix Mendelssohn made many visits to London during his lifetime. As his travels to the capital progressed, so did his ascending star and status with the British public. Initially he wasn't recognised as a professional composer on these shores until a performance of his overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream. After this point, commissions started to pour in. During his first few visits, Mendelssohn generally restricted his public appearances to benefit concerts, or concerts given by the Philharmonic Society. With his popularity growing he was soon giving impromptu performances on the organ at St Paul's Cathedral, where people would flock to hear him play. London society idolised Mendelssohn, and the city became a testing ground for some of his new compositions including his Rondo Brillant. His popularity rose to such a pitch that he was invited to Buckingham Palace to socialise with Queen Victoria on a number of occasions. Sechs Lieder ohne Worte, Book 1 Op 19b (Moderato) Daniel Barenboim, piano A Midsummer Night's Dream (Overture) Gewandhausorchester, Leipzig Kurt Masur, conductor Rondo Brillant, Op 29 Ronald Brutigam, piano Amsterdam Sinfoniette Lev Markiv, conductor Erntelied, Op 8 No 4 Sophie Daneman, soprano Eugene Asti, piano Pilgerspruch, Op 8 No 5 Stephen Loges, baritone Elijah, Op 70 (For the mountains shall depart) Simon Keenlyside, baritone Rosemary Joshua, soprano Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano Robert Murray, tenor Warsaw Philharmonic Choir Gabrieli Young Singers Scheme Gabrieli Consort and Players Paul McCreesh, conductor Donald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's popularity in London. |
| 2019 | 05 LAST | Mendelssohn's Muse Cecile | 20190111 | 20191129 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores the impact of marriage upon Mendelssohn's life and music In Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod journeys through the life of Felix Mendelssohn, exploring in particular a number of influences upon the composer's works. Mendelssohn was a leading figure of German music in his day, and became something of an international celebrity. He was at the very forefront of music making during the 1830s and 1840s, as a composer, conductor, pianist and organist. He began as a highly gifted and versatile prodigy, and rose to become one of Germany's first rank composers of the early romantic period. He composed music in many genres including concertos, oratorios, symphonies, songs and chamber music. Amongst some of his most famous works, are the highly evocative and dramatic overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream, and his mature and richly romantic Violin Concerto. During the 1830s, pressure grew on Mendelssohn from his friends and family to find a wife. The lucky girl was Cecile Sophie Charlotte Jeanrenaud, who Mendelssohn first met in 1836 in Frankfurt. Theirs was a blest relationship which would inspire and influence many of his works, including his love duet for solo piano from his Sechs Lieder ohne Worte, or the String Quartet in E minor. As Mendelssohn's professional life became increasingly busy, including lots of travel both in Germany and abroad, his wife Cecile provided a domestic backdrop which supported her husband in his work. Some went on to criticise Mendelssohn, attributing a loss of artistic integrity to his increased domestic happiness. With Mendelssohn's early death, Cecille was noted to say, life lasts so long, how shall I live it alone? Sechs Lieder ohne Worte Op 38 No 6 (Duetto: Andante) Howard Shelley, piano Ich wollt' meine Lieb' ergosse sich, Op 63 No 1 Herbstlied, Op 63 No 4 Sophie Daneman, soprano Nathan Berg, baritone Eugene Asti, piano Prelude and Fugue in C minor, Op 37 No 1 Stefan Johannes Bleicher, organ Concerto in E minor for violin and orchestra, Op 64 Xue Wei, violin London Philharmonic Orchestra Ivor Bolton, conductor String Quartet in E minor, Op 44 No 2 (Presto agitato) Emerson String Quartet Donald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's marriage to Cecile. |
| 2021 | Triumphant Elijah | 20210225 | Donald Macleod sees Mendelssohn working towards his last great choral work. Felix Mendelssohn was one of the most gifted and versatile musicians the world has ever seen. As a child prodigy he was likened to Mozart and he grew to become one of the most famous and beloved composers in Europe, during the middle of the 19th century. His life was cut tragically short, at the age of 38, while he was at the very height of his powers. This week, Donald Macleod focuses on the final five years of Mendelssohn's life, and follows the composer through his extremely hectic work schedule which undoubtedly contributed to his early demise. 1846 was the year of one of Mendelssohn's greatest successes. His oratorio, Elijah, was premiered in Birmingham and sealed his reputation as Britain's favourite composer. We also find him further pursuing his friendship with soprano, Jenny Lind. Lied ohne Worte in D minor (Reiterlied) P退ter Nagy, piano Rondo Brilliant in E flat, Op 29 Ronald Brautigam, piano Die K怀lner Akademie Michael Alexander Willens, conductor Lauda Sion, Op 73 Evelyn Brunner, soprano Naoko Ihara, contralto Alejandro Ramirez, tenor Philippe Huttenlocher, bass-baritone Gulbenkian Orchestra Gulbenkian, Choir Michel Corboz, conductor Elijah, Op 70 (excerpt) Rosemary Joshua, soprano Jonty Ward, treble Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano Robert Murray, tenor Simon Keenlyside, baritone Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir Gabrieli Young Singers' Scheme Gabrieli Consort and Players Paul McCreesh, director | ||
| 2021 | 01 | Between Two Cities | 20210222 | 20220823 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's exhausting schedule in the year 1843. Felix Mendelssohn has been described as one of the most gifted and versatile musical prodigies ever, becoming a prolific composer writing in many genres from incidental stage and symphonic music, to works for chamber ensembles and solo piano. However, his was a life which was cut short in his thirties. Towards the end of his life, he was at the height of his fame, and at the forefront of German music not only as a composer, but also as conductor, pianist, organist and teacher. In this series, Composer of the Week focuses upon the final five years of Mendelssohn's life, as Donald Macleod surveys the many iconic works he composed during that period, and journeys through Mendelssohn's extremely hectic schedule which undoubtably led to the composer's early demise. Mendelssohn began the year 1843 in a rather sombre tone, as only a few days before his mother had suddenly died. Yet as the year progressed, Mendelssohn demonstrated his usual characteristic of undertaking a great too many things, frequently commuting between Leipzig and Berlin to fulfil is heavy commitments in both cities. He was a guiding force behind the newly opened Conservatory in Berlin, and even when he asked for an audience with King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia so he could resign some of his duties in the capitol, the king instead promoted Mendelssohn so he now was responsible for the improvement of sacred singing and music. During this period he did find time to compose some of his most iconic works, including his second cello sonata, and the incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream. Lied ohne Worte in E minor, Op 62 No 3 (Trauermarsch) Daniel Barenboim, piano Paulus, Op 36 (excerpt) Susan Gritton, soprano Barry Banks, tenor Peter Coleman-Wright, bass BBC National Chorus of Wales BBC National Orchestra of Wales Richard Hickox, conductor, Cello Sonata No 2 in D, Op 58 Mischa Maisky, cello Sergio Tiempo, piano A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op 61 (excerpt) Sandrine Piau, soprano Delphine Collot, soprano Choir of the Chapel Royal Collegium Vocale Orchestra of the Champs Elysees Philippe Herreweghe, director Donald Macleod journeys with Mendelssohn between Berlin and Leipzig. |
| 2021 | 02 | At The Height Of His Fame | 20210223 | 20220824 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores the period of 1844 when Mendelssohn was at the height of his career Felix Mendelssohn has been described as one of the most gifted and versatile musical prodigies ever, becoming a prolific composer writing in many genres from incidental stage and symphonic music, to works for chamber ensembles and solo piano. However, his was a life which was cut short in his thirties. Towards the end of his life, he was at the height of his fame, and at the forefront of German music not only as a composer, but also as conductor, pianist, organist and teacher. In this series, Composer of the Week focuses upon the final five years of Mendelssohn's life, as Donald Macleod surveys the many iconic works he composed during that period, and journeys through Mendelssohn's extremely hectic schedule which undoubtably led to the composer's early demise. 1844 was a milestone year for Felix Mendelssohn. His fame had reached such a pitch that he was now, on a visit to the UK, granted private audiences with Queen Victoria, who was a huge fan of his. An offer also came from the USA for Mendelssohn to direct a music festival in New York. However, realising that he was doing too much, Mendelssohn at last managed to successfully negotiate with the King of Prussia to reduce his workload, having faced many battles with the clergy in Berlin over the standard of sacred singing and music. Mendelssohn's return to Germany saw a less hectic period, and enabled him to complete one of his most iconic works, his Violin Concerto. The famed violinist Fritz Kreisler called this work the jewel of all violin concertos. O for the wings of a dove! (From Hear My Prayer) Rachel Bennett, soprano Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge Mark Williams, organ Richard Marlow Lieder ohne Worte in B flat, Op 62 No 2, 5 Lieder ohne Worte in E flat, Op 67 No 1 Norberto Capelli, piano Hector Moreno, piano Violin Concerto in E minor, Op 64 Maxim Vengerov, violin Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig Kurt Masur, conductor Organ Sonata No 5 in D, Op 65 William Whitehead, organ Donald Macleod surveys Mendelssohn's life at the height of his career. |
| 2021 | 03 | Mendelssohn And Jenny Lind | 20210224 | 20220825 (R3) | Donald Macleod examines the frenzied years of 1845 and 1846, when Mendelssohn admires the voice of Jenny Lind and composes his popular Elijah. Felix Mendelssohn has been described as one of the most gifted and versatile musical prodigies ever, becoming a prolific composer writing in many genres from incidental stage and symphonic music, to works for chamber ensembles and solo piano. However, his was a life which was cut short in his thirties. Towards the end of his life, he was at the height of his fame, and at the forefront of German music not only as a composer, but also as conductor, pianist, organist and teacher. In this series, Composer of the Week focuses upon the final five years of Mendelssohn's life, as Donald Macleod surveys the many iconic works he composed during that period, and journeys through Mendelssohn's extremely hectic schedule which undoubtably led to the composer's early demise. During the year 1845, Mendelssohn continued to try and strike a balance between his heavy work commitments, and his personal and family life. Yet his sister Fanny had concerns that Mendelssohn was rushing about too much. He was now in negotiations with the Saxon court about resuming his duties as chief conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as duties at the Leipzig Conservatory. Later in the year Mendelssohn was also in discussions with the Prussian King about further duties in Berlin. At the height of his fame and popularity, everyone wanted Mendelssohn working for them. There were however moments of respite from this schedule, not only so he could compose his popular second piano trio, but also so he could attended performances of the Swedish Nightingale, Jenny Lind. In 1846, we see yet another year of little respite in the busy and frantic schedule for Felix Mendelssohn. As well as a sell-out concert accompanying the soprano Jenny Lind, Mendelssohn found time to complete his oratorio Elijah. The work was a huge success immediately after its premiere in Birmingham, and was hailed in the British press as genius, Mendelssohn's greatest achievement. Wenn sich zwei Herzen scheiden, Op 99 No 5 Barbara Bonney, soprano Geoffrey Parson, piano Lieder ohne Worte in C, Op 67 No 4 Daniel Barenboim, piano Piano Trio No 2 in C minor, Op 66 Wanderer Trio Lauda Sion, Op 73 (excerpt) Evelyn Brunner, soprano Naoko Ihara, contralto Alejandro Ramirez, tenor Philippe Huttenlocher, bass-baritone Gulbenkian Orchestra Gulbenkian, Choir Michel Corboz, conductor Elijah, Op 70 (excerpt) Rosemary Joshua, soprano Jonty Ward, treble Sarah Connolly, mezzo-soprano Robert Murray, tenor Simon Keenlyside, baritone Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir Gabrieli Young Singers' Scheme Gabrieli Consort and Players Paul McCreesh, director Donald Macleod explores the hectic years of 1845 and 1846 for Felix Mendelssohn. |
| 2021 | 04 | Mendelssohn's Early Demise | 20210226 | 20220826 (R3) | Donald Macleod delves into Mendelssohn's final year, when he was still very much at the height of his fame. Felix Mendelssohn has been described as one of the most gifted and versatile musical prodigies ever, becoming a prolific composer writing in many genres from incidental stage and symphonic music, to works for chamber ensembles and solo piano. However, his was a life which was cut short in his thirties. Towards the end of his life, he was at the height of his fame, and at the forefront of German music not only as a composer, but also as conductor, pianist, organist and teacher. In this series Composer of the Week focuses upon the final five years of Mendelssohn's life, as Donald Macleod surveys the many iconic works he composed during that period, and journeys through Mendelssohn's extremely hectic schedule which undoubtedly led to the composer's early demise. Mendelssohn's hectic life was beginning to catch up with him, and have a serious impact upon his health. Not only was he frequently travelling between cities in Germany fulfilling multiple duties and commissions, but also travelled to England where he was a celebrity. In his final year though, Queen Victoria noted that Mendelssohn's enthusiasm for his compositional projects seemed to have diminished. Once he returned to Germany, a terrible blow came with the news that his beloved sister has died. Mendelssohn was not the same after this, and within a few months would die himself. In the desolation of his final string quartet, we can hear this perhaps as a requiem for his sister Fanny. Nachtlied, Op 71 No 6 Sandrine Piau, soprano Susan Manhoff, piano Jubilate, Op 69 Kammerchor Stuttgart Frieder Bernius, conductor Symphony No 3 in A minor, Op 56 `Scottish` (Vivace non troppo & Adagio) Philharmonia Orchestra Walter Weller, conductor String Quartet in F minor, Op 80 Quatuor Eb耀ne Donald Macleod explores Felix Mendelssohn's final year. |
| 2024 | 01 | London Debut | 20240115 | Donald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's first visit to London aged 20, when he established a relationship with Britain that would continue throughout his life. Mendelssohn's relationship with Britain began when he was 20 years old, when London became the first stop of his Grand Tour. This week Donald Macleod explores the composer's experiences in Britain, considering the mark he left on musical life in these islands, the works he wrote here, and what he got up to in the course of the ten visits he made across his lifetime. Mendelssohn took inspiration from the scenery, but he also got his first professional engagements in Britain, and in return, by the end of his life, Britain lionized him. Mendelssohn's first impressions of London in April 1829 were of an ‘awful mass' but he settled in quickly. His mission was to escape Berlin and establish an international career, and Britain helped him on his way. The English found his accent charming, he took up lodgings in the centre of the city, and made friends and professional contacts that would last throughout his life. Songs Without Words op 19b No 1 Glenn Gould, piano Symphony No 1 in C minor (Mvt 1) Chamber Orchestra of Europe Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor 12 Lieder op 9: III – Wartend Sophie Danemann, soprano Eugene Asti, piano Octet in E flat major (Mvt 3) Amsterdam Sinfonietta Lev Markiz, conductor Concerto in E major for Two pianos (Mvt 2 & 3) Alessandra Ammara, piano Roberto Prosseda, piano Residentie Orkest Jan Willem de Vriend, conductor Mendelssohn's first visit to London and the beginnings of his relationship with Britain. Mendelssohn's first impressions of London were of an ‘awful mass', but he settled in quickly, making friends and professional contacts that would last throughout his lifetime. | |
| 2024 | 02 | Wandering Britain | 20240116 | Donald Macleod explores the journey to Scotland and Wales that Mendelssohn undertook in the summer of 1829, on his first trip to Britain, and some of the pieces that arose from these weeks of wandering. Mendelssohn's relationship with Britain began when he was 20 years old, when London became the first stop of his Grand Tour. This week Donald Macleod explores the composer's experiences in Britain, considering the mark he left on musical life in these islands, the works he wrote here, and what he got up to in the course of the ten visits he made across his lifetime. Mendelssohn took inspiration from the scenery, but he also got his first professional engagements in Britain, and in return, by the end of his life, Britain lionized him. After a very successful few weeks in London at the beginning of his Grand Tour of Europe, Mendelssohn set off north for Edinburgh with his trusty companion Karl Klingemann, on a great Scottish Adventure. Donald Macleod looks at the trip that would inspire some of his most celebrated works. Fantasie in F# minor (Mvt 1) Maximilian Schairer, piano Symphony No 3 in A minor 'Scottish' (Mvt 1) Chamber Orchestra of Europe Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor 3 Fantasies (or Caprices) Op. 16 Peter Donohoe, piano String Quartet in E flat Major (Mvt 1) Consone Quartet Organ Sonata No 3 (Mvt 1) William Whitehead, organ Symphony No 3 in A minor 'Scottish' (Mvt 4) Mendelssohn's travels as a tourist of Scotland and Wales in the summer of 1829. Mendelssohn sets off for Edinburgh with his trusty companion Karl Klingemann on a great Scottish Adventure, keen to see the naked knees of all those kilted Celts. | |
| 2024 | 03 | At A Crossroads | 20240117 | Donald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's second visit to London in 1832, when he happily moved back into his lodgings at 103 Great Portland Street, picked up with old acquaintances, and became a professional composer. Mendelssohn's relationship with Britain began when he was 20 years old, when London became the first stop of his Grand Tour. This week Donald Macleod explores the composer's experiences in Britain, considering the mark he left on musical life in these islands, the works he wrote here, and what he got up to in the course of the ten visits he made across his lifetime. Mendelssohn took inspiration from the scenery, but he also got his first professional engagements in Britain, and in return, by the end of his life, Britain lionized him. Each visit to Britain that Mendelssohn made saw a step-change in his status as a composer. He made his second visit to London when he was still only in his early twenties, but it would cement his position with some major commissions. Songs without Words op 19b No 3 Ronald Brautigam, piano Hebrides Overture London Symphony Orchestra Claudio Abbado, conductor Piano Concerto No 1 in G minor (Mvts 2 & 3) Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Jan Lisiecki, piano Songs Without Words op 19b (Nos 2, 5, 6) Andras Schiff, piano Symphony No 4 in A major 'Italian' (Mvts 3 & 4) Mendelssohn's second visit to London in 1832 and his first paid commissions as a composer Donald Macleod looks at Mendelssohn's second visit to London when he was in his early twenties, which would cement his position with some major commissions | |
| 2024 | 04 | Tea At Buckingham Palace | 20240118 | Donald Macleod looks at Mendelssohn's trips to Britain in the early 1840s, when he's at the height of his fame, and goes for tea at Buckingham Palace. Mendelssohn's relationship with Britain began when he was 20 years old, when London became the first stop of his Grand Tour. This week Donald Macleod explores the composer's experiences in Britain, considering the mark he left on musical life in these islands, the works he wrote here, and what he got up to in the course of the ten visits he made across his lifetime. Mendelssohn took inspiration from the scenery, but he also got his first professional engagements in Britain, and in return, by the end of his life, Britain lionized him. By the time of Mendelssohn's eighth sojourn in Britain, everyone wanted to meet him, from Charles Dickens and Thackeray, to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Songs Without Words op 102 No 1 Daniel Barenboim, piano Piano Concerto No 2 in D minor (Mvts 2 & 3) Danae Dörken, piano Royal Northern Sinfonia Lars Vogt, conductor Piano Trio No 1 (Mvt 1) Itzak Perlman, violin Yo Yo Ma, cello Emanuel Ax, piano A Midsummer Night's Dream (Nos 5 & 7) Gewandhausorchester Ricardo Chailly, conductor Violin Concerto in E minor (Mvt 1) Nicola Benedetti, violin Academy of St Martin in the Fields James Macmillan, conductor Mendelssohn meets Dickens, Thackeray and the Queen in London. By the time of Mendelssohn's eighth sojourn in Britain, he was at the height of his fame and everyone wanted to meet him, from Dickens to Queen Victoria. With Donald Macleod. | |
| 2024 | 05 LAST | Birmingham Festival 1846 | 20240119 | Donald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's final visits to Britain and the work that crowned his reputation, the oratorio Elijah, written for the Birmingham Festival. Mendelssohn's relationship with Britain began when he was 20 years old, when London became the first stop of his Grand Tour. This week Donald Macleod explores the composer's experiences in Britain, considering the mark he left on musical life in these islands, the works he wrote here, and what he got up to in the course of the ten visits he made across his lifetime. Mendelssohn took inspiration from the scenery, but he also got his first professional engagements in Britain, and in return, by the end of his life, Britain lionized him. In his later years Mendelssohn developed a relationship, possibly romantic, with the Swedish soprano Jenny Lind, and the work which dominated his final years, Elijah, was written with her voice in mind. Elijah came to be seen, particularly in Britain, as his masterpiece and it was enthusiastically embraced by choral societies with a fervour second only to Messiah. 6 Songs Op 99 No 5 Barbara Bonney, soprano Geoffrey Parsons, piano Elijah (Excerpt Part 1) Bryn Terfel, baritone Patricia Bardon, mezzo-soprano John Mark Ainsley, tenor Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Edinburgh Festival Chorus Paul Daniel, conductor Octet in E flat major (Mvt 1) Emerson Quartet String Quartet No 6 in F minor (Mvt 3) Doric String Quartet Elijah (Excerpt Part 2) Produced by Megan Jones for BBC Audio Wales Mendelssohn's final visits to Britain towards the end of his life. Donald Macleod explores Mendelssohn's final visits to Britain and his triumph with the oratorio that crowned his reputation here: Elijah. |