| Show fi r rr secy R M Rl r sy Y Yf f Y f r f C 4 3 r y V fi yr y A w lIE year 1 n a year yeu of ot notable cen centennials r CHE holds two that are oro of oC pro pre preeminent eminent significance sl to musicians m and the entire loving world worl On Fuhrn February ary 3 It occurs curs the time centenary of o Felix Men Ien Mendelssohn I now n to tho the world at large us ilK Mendelssohn iud n a date but buta a few feu weeks later or March 1 J to be ex ox exact exI I net act marks the th one hundredth sary of the birth of Frederic Chopin Both Hoth Bothof of oC these composers Immure by their work made deep Impress upon the history of oC music the achievements of Mend lend N I Bohn perhaps stand out as ns the more mor pres pro nail and the present centennial will serve to not only draw popular attention to tb composer of ot tho ho Spring bong and arid other masterpieces hut but will also ilo em emphasize his unusual personality and re ru remarkable en cor career r cor corAt or At the very outset of this thU glimpse of tC life lite It may be well to ex cx explain lJ plain his hili acquisition of 0 time the name Bar an appendix which has hOB been re responsible for tor many man perplexing mistakes on the part of and i nd others olbers r The grandfather of oC the composer Moses Moso Mendelssohn was wan the greatest Jewish teacher r and thinker of oC his time Uuie nail his hits son con Abraham father of tho thu composer compose wa was Willi scarcely scarce less lean notably successful ne a banker The latter latt r married Miss Minn II Solo Solomon non mono an exceptionally exceptional lino fino amateur must clan and antl It was through her h r Influence s that the family fatally drifted drUt away from the faith ITer Ifer brother n a mUll mini of oC great wealth and Influence nc had become converted convert to tho Christian Church soil and had bad taken laken tho the name nome Bartholdy Ho lIo In Induced ducal 1 his law to follow follo hula hit cx cr crample ample and accordingly ly nil all tho the children r D Including rolls Fells were Tere baptized In to the Lu Lai Lutheran theran Church and adopted tho the name Bartholdy Tie TEe TI famous composer pr was horn born In x but 11 It couple coulle of ot years rears later l his bill pa II enta iU removed d to Berlin erlln From the time hue the child was nun 8 old enough to comprehend about music his mother who ho hoa a as above aboTe explained tl l wits was very ve talented commenced his Ills systematic Instruction beginning with lessons of only dye mill a 11 day which Interval was wan gradually Increased cd From early youth Felix and the inc other children were Instructed both In IB Pianoforte and violin and n nIl the youngster oun ter who ho wag wac to develop Into tho the great greit com corn of or hi hl his day mado made his hiI first public appearance In Berlin when only nine T ar of o use uge When hD Felix wn was Bolin hardly nUi 11 years enn of oC age nr ho bo entered the nail almost t from that very day r ne he m made ItIe J attempts at nt musical I f ft cOm compo mJ O Era Ern ho had hod reached ached his twelfth birthday anniversary he had bad com corn I P ed d no less lewi than CO jJ move ment ments including a 0 cantata and a n comedy in nib n Three t I OF T J Y S 7 1 t ce c z I I I II J Ii vr r R I f t fk L q r it I r I i Yo X 7 W i 9 t zt l 2 w iY I t ri i I P If M I W gr t t 10 sm d i W Y 4 11 W tl A N W 1 w t tv v I i fJ i 1 l 1 t f W t 1 1 X JJ tJ V kil i 1 l A Au u H I Wt w y v 3 Tle J II Gf 1 1 77 1 Sr r 4 G it 1 0 l Ili 1 a ak k a k When Mendelssohn was nR but 17 years of or ago age be lie composed the famous overture to the Midsummer Nights 1 s Dream which the thc critics of Q oil nil tuna horn hivo Ken been cu mouy moux In pronouncing the tho most example of musical precocity In III tho ho his lIls history tory 1017 of the tho world A year jeur ear Inter later time HIP l hoyt first opera ww was 11 nt nl the Grand Opera House In Berlin and nut met with pro prod When little post past 20 30 years of oC age ose Mendelssohn was offered d the tho chair of o music at ut the tho University but and about this time limo under undertook took tool a II concert tour of England where bere hf he vas rax hailed ball d as ns one of o the great composers com coin posers and pianists IK of ot the tho day dav This ex cx was on followed tollo n d by concert tours toura of or Scotland Austria Italy Switzerland and nud France When ben the composer was OK 21 I years of at age ne bo lie accepted nn an offer of o the Iho position pO of oC conductor of oC the tune Lower Lo cr Rhino RhIne Musical Festival tI 11 I and so 50 favorable was W II the Ira rn pro lon mOllo by the tho young musician that ho he was wall Immediately appointed Town lown Musical Director of o nt ut the tile impressive salary of Ir IG n a which seems to have been quite quito to him hiim This post served as ItS n stepping atone litone to that of o Conductor of ot the famous Gen Orchestra lu I Leipzig Ho no made tub or the foremost or orchestra chestra In Europe Europ and the people of I elp zig became more moro than thun enthusiastic over oer and his bis work In the year Id when Mendelssohn was wan 11 8 years of ot age he be wan vas married to Cecile Charlotte Sophie Jeanrenaud n II avery very ery beautiful girl tho the daughter of or n French Frt Protestant clergyman man The do mettle life II of the Uw couple wa was dead l the tho composer manifesting In his hb home homo few fow of ot those tho c eccentricities e which have hare made mado eo so many a musical genius a n trying life part partner partner partner ner Nor or was bU Lis home life lite by nay any menus means care caro free for tor In time five fio children chil children dren joined the time hou household hold and the health of ot wife was not nol s of ot the boat beat It Is recorded that the com corn poser not Dot only Instructed hi hl his children In music hut but also taught them such Inch funda fundamental fundamentAl fundamental mental branches as reading re spelling and he had hall been married about four years yelUs the thi Emperor Invited to Berlin to conduct the orchestral and choral ral concerts That professional jeal jealousy only onsy which IB la ever r tho the bane bone of ot the cal world made this portion of o his hili career a Q path of oC thorns and hr he dually announced l his huts Intention to resign r Thereupon the Emperor who was wan very TN fond of o him in induced him to remain and ind organize o a n choir At tt the cathedral This Thin ho Ito did dill KO so successfully ully that the monarch appointed him Royal General Musical Director A year talon later wr he hI organized the tho Leipzig Con and nud In lH ISH bo be tho the Iy London JAudon Philharmonic concerts Two years r t trl f r J rr v ix i I I tv x r rs s L z l Ce I rl 7 cr et he e ea a r e m ye P A ea edT m ea Inter later ho made hl his hia ninth timid lust lost visit to 10 England En land where bo ho hal hail attained If IC anything greater popularity than In Ger man conducted conduct d at it Birmingham tho the performance of o Thi Tho Elijah which composition mils with St Paul as his greatest re work worl When hn return to Leipzig from tram this English tour the effect of o tho the culmination of ot years of ot overwork began benn to make Itself distressingly ly und and be he svgs n obliged to resign r his conductor ship of ot tins the orchestra and his bin position portion nt at the Then came the tho shock of thug the th news fetes of ot the death of oC favorite f and very ry talented ulster Hisler Fanny Hensel H usel and this plow blow coming but butu butIl u Il few years the death of ot hU his mother of oC whom he was very tofu fond seemed crushing cru lu III effect and the com corn went Into a ft rapid decline his hla I death occurring on November J 1 1847 JSn nt at the tho com pan lively early corly ago ngo of or SS S years ear The career of Mendelssohn cn wn was almost unique in that h he did not Dot have to suffer surrel the privations and nut hardships which seem m to hove have been beon the tho lot let of ot almost ever every musical genius In early youth The son n no of o wealth wealthy nail Indulgent parents bo ho never faced poverty or sorto serious and it Is not unlike unlikely as ns has had fre frequently been heen eu suggested that tb t this thU happy childhood was wn largo responsible for the theman man clous creative power which the tho rom rem poser noer In his lute earliest musical work Incidentally it may maj ma be lie mentioned that In early arl youth Mendelssohn maul foiled literary talent only less I 3 remarkable than his hla hi musical ability When scarcely lf n a dozen years of oC nee age ho bo boroto wrote roto that would have done credit to n a young man of ot twice his bis years pears and hla hi unusual attainments in in this direction could not nol be better proven than by the fact that thai tho he greatly Interested the Poet Goethe who became one of ot his closest clO Cst friends Goethe always dt declared declared that thit Men were Infinitely superior to those of ot Mozart at nt the tho same age 00 Not ot only could Mendelssohn work or idle hUo KB liS fancy dictated but hut ho had lu fu hula his own home the facilities that Invariably proven prove n boon hoon to struggling musical genius The best boIt musical Instruments Instrument of oC the PC se C rind were re of ot course provided I nud and he dining room of oC time the Bartholdy mansIon was wan adapted for or use 1180 as nit a n con COil concert cont cert hell boll Indeed n a concert was wis held there regularly each cich week and young Felix compositions were thus played be before before fore ore audiences cu ns as rapidly ns no nothey they th 1 were completed As 8 tho young youn com corn composer poser his bin father considered lh tit llin advisability of ot baring him round out his musical education In Paris hut but after fter visiting tho ho French capital decided that the tho T uton atmosphere was bent hest although during much flinch of ot his life was not In the tho most robust health WM was very fond of travel lie He espe especially enjoyed Italy Hilly but England held bell the first place In his hili affections For while ho pronounced London a n smoky nest ho he confessed that It was ever his bis favorite residence Perhaps Perhaps this liking due duo to tote the was wall partly parti enthusiastic ac nc acclaim claim chains with which M was nl at wa wiH greeted In the tile Tight Little Isle hl The appreciation 1 of I J ohn in England which Ip grew rr w to virtual Idolatry was wn the morp more nori marked contrasted with the skeptical of ot time tile audi audiences In to Berlin erlln And In turn we e find that come Borne measure of or a I x WWW T c N f z v p f t tF F t d dr r A 1 l rig i il l 1 success 9 in the British metropolis was Wll due to the t e tact net that thit though h a mu musician musician he was wn a n the d of ot which In Iti this case was Va tint that being belur i a 1 man rain nf tIC menus means ho bc did not demand pa po poor pay for or his playIng or conducting which clr placed him In the eyes yes of the thrifty on a pinnacle far those tho less lew lel S fortunate who must derive livelihood from their art urt From the reft reference to the tho apathy of ot Berlin It may 1110 be suspected that Men fen Ien despite de the almost uninterrupted success and amid his lda freedom from care car anent nione matters malters did not pass POS through his bis comparatively I brief career without wit bout sonic RODIC lI Aside from tile the lethargy of Berlin erlln there therl Bras wis the circumstance that Mendelssohn was waN never neer as DB successful success s still till fill ne ns he desired In operatic composition and some of the time criticisms which assailed hL operas stung him humn to the quick No 0 mention of oC Mendelssohn 8 life In England would be at fit nil nth adequate without refer It i 1 of of I M Ile J c M f 0 It J s r rV v 1 V a i ic l y r L u u f 11 11 nu i 4 I jf 4 t Jo j t A O I II fi I j r t 1 N j d r i t N Jw t n ft a ar L yf SL j XI h 1 j th SL fi p 7 t d 7 t r g i J r f a e el I Ir fj v r 4 j i ll l i fJ if Ij l X ld t 7 v I J l J A c oI 71 C J v vif 0 1 jJ if ii Pt h j 1 Jt A 1 t k r ii d V i jr ll 4 w 1 i ft Yi t r Ji M ij i v 1 J Jf t I 7 r w 1 of 1 tC Q 1 t s Wf fJ t t l f 7 r Jt t F J 1 f l ti if 1 G ll Ji L 1 2 y J r C r Il f lt 5 b 6 r 3 f J JIK v I v L 1 if uw w IK D rr Ji k t tH S Lt rAft w v 1 Y V Vs l J vr if ff a s n J V f M N XA j f a Nn l I y im ims fo k i io 1 I 7 t C X s 9 o f v I f 7 J gi JH JHo CT j 1 j e v V i x vT K o 9 A r 4 J w 14 w l t r V t r r ft l t t 0 ff f f tl kt f lw ti K K r I 1 t rc k L if 1 i l JI w b b LO a al a y 1 A J ii l 1 Q J J JJ k if J t v G a ff i y yf 1 Cf r ys 1 iii t f I Iv v j r h I lt A fJ pr I w Nd lt a M Q r 4 oo h t N S f t ti 1 d di tJ d r i l r 4 cn t f fl A Vc e o Jf 1 or a o s hJ Asti once ence to his frIendship for tor Jenny Undo Time The famous fulfilled bis hia Ideal of or in nn artist rind It was wis for her that he ho wrote his hula greatest choral work Elijah f fIt It Is u n sad flad commentary on Mendel endell career In Great Grent Britain that tho the thoI very I ry triumph Jio Ie achieved was indirect Indirectly his hL undoing lie MIe th the lion of ot the hour and was feted fetell far for beyond the ca of n frail already cuk encl eneil b by overwork rho sequel of at this high hl tension social life was that bo he became be been came en me n a victim of oC nervous exhaustion ns ne his hla father had hod been before be Core him and al 01 also also so 80 his bin beloved sister In the tho end en he win was afflicted with headaches no so severe that he hc could riot not tolerate the slightest noise not even as though nn an Irony of oC fate the sound of o a n piano pin no When the composer of oC Songs WIth WIthout Without out Words died his bis boll bod body was wan wo taken from Leipzig to Italic Halle for Interment and the tho funeral was most Impressive It took place nt at night and thousands of oC the cit elt hens participated te In n a torchlight pro procession processIon cession from the composers composer home borne to th the i railroad station elation At ca each h town to n or vII I loge huge through which the funeral train pass passed ed od the corte o was greeted by chorales C j chanted by choruses of ot admiring must chins Many storied stories are told laid of Mendelssohn I Bohn sohn Illustrative of ot his distinctive per tier personality personality f Not ot n few Cew of them ore are based on OD the tricks of oC his bis marvelous memory It Is Ut related that Chat on ono one occasion whoa the tho score of ot the tho Midsummer Nights I ht Dream overture was lost the tho composer without hesitancy prepared another which corresponded with the tho original In tho time minutest detail Ho Do knew the r sr C classics by 11 heart a This bis remarkable mem morn memory ory rendered possible that skill In m r In which M nde excelled This Th German composer compol er stands standI apart from many ranny great musicians mu In that ho won popularity and nud homage during his bis life lICe lifetime time tilDe and this thin prestige e bas hns If anything been enhanced since his death I |
