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Mendelssohn: A Life in Music
An extraordinary prodigy of Mozartean abilities, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was a distinguished composer and conductor, a legendary pianist and organist, and an accomplished painter and classicist. Lionized in his lifetime, he is best remembered today for several staples of the concert hall
and for such popular music as "The Wedding March" and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing."
Now, in the first major Mendelssohn biography to appear in decades, R. Larry Todd offers a remarkably fresh account of this musical giant, based upon painstaking research in autograph manuscripts, correspondence, diaries, and paintings. Rejecting the view of the composer as a craftsman of
felicitous but sentimental, saccharine works (termed by one critic "moonlight with sugar water"), Todd reexamines the composer's entire oeuvre, including many unpublished and little known works. Here are engaging analyses of Mendelssohn's distinctive masterpieces--the zestful Octet, puckish
Midsummer Night's Dream , haunting Hebrides Overtures, and elegiac Violin Concerto in E minor. Todd describes how the composer excelled in understatement and nuance, in subtle, coloristic orchestrations that lent his scores an undeniable freshness and vividness. He also explores Mendelssohn's
changing awareness of his religious heritage, Wagner's virulent anti-Semitic attack on Mendelssohn's music, the composer's complex relationship with his sister Fanny Hensel, herself a child prodigy and prolific composer, his avocation as a painter and draughtsman, and his remarkable, polylingual
correspondence with the cultural elite of his time.
A Life offers a masterful blend of biography and musical analysis. Readers will discover many new facets of the familiar but misunderstood composer and gain new perspectives on one of the most formidable musical geniuses of all time.
and for such popular music as "The Wedding March" and "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing."
Now, in the first major Mendelssohn biography to appear in decades, R. Larry Todd offers a remarkably fresh account of this musical giant, based upon painstaking research in autograph manuscripts, correspondence, diaries, and paintings. Rejecting the view of the composer as a craftsman of
felicitous but sentimental, saccharine works (termed by one critic "moonlight with sugar water"), Todd reexamines the composer's entire oeuvre, including many unpublished and little known works. Here are engaging analyses of Mendelssohn's distinctive masterpieces--the zestful Octet, puckish
Midsummer Night's Dream , haunting Hebrides Overtures, and elegiac Violin Concerto in E minor. Todd describes how the composer excelled in understatement and nuance, in subtle, coloristic orchestrations that lent his scores an undeniable freshness and vividness. He also explores Mendelssohn's
changing awareness of his religious heritage, Wagner's virulent anti-Semitic attack on Mendelssohn's music, the composer's complex relationship with his sister Fanny Hensel, herself a child prodigy and prolific composer, his avocation as a painter and draughtsman, and his remarkable, polylingual
correspondence with the cultural elite of his time.
A Life offers a masterful blend of biography and musical analysis. Readers will discover many new facets of the familiar but misunderstood composer and gain new perspectives on one of the most formidable musical geniuses of all time.
736 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2003
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208 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 9, 2026
5⭐
Whenever I read a mammoth bio like this, I always feel a hole left by its absence when completed. This one has been with me for a good 8 Months with a couple of small breaks and I've come to know the composer and a large part of his work fairly well. It'll be missed.
Perhaps I'll dive into another bio to fill the void (Schubert, Chopin or Brahms feel the most alluring to me atm) but for the minute I think I'll let this one wash over me and see if I can put something remotely worthy into words.
RTC
Whenever I read a mammoth bio like this, I always feel a hole left by its absence when completed. This one has been with me for a good 8 Months with a couple of small breaks and I've come to know the composer and a large part of his work fairly well. It'll be missed.
Perhaps I'll dive into another bio to fill the void (Schubert, Chopin or Brahms feel the most alluring to me atm) but for the minute I think I'll let this one wash over me and see if I can put something remotely worthy into words.
RTC
December 11, 2025
Canceled Culture
Felix Mendelssohn was born into a prominent Jewish family in Hamburg Germany. At his parents' suggestion, he and his siblings converted to Christianity to fit in with a Christian Germany that was politically charged already against outsiders. It's important to note though that the wealthy status of his family afforded Felix quite a bit of education, privilege, comfort, and societal/ personal protections. But, there is so much more to the life of this gifted prodigy that deserves a deeper dive into the history, and Todd's book is a great place to do that.
I could start with the majesty of Mendelssohn's music. The oratorios, such as Paul and Peter; the vividness and vitality of his Violin Concerto in E Minor; the coloristic orchestration of his symphonies which blended the Classical with the Romantic reveal the breadth of his musical talent, and the way it grew over his career. Some people think more of the wedding march from Midsummer's Night's Dream, which has a more light-hearted whimsical breath of fairy land. His revival of Bach and Handel... well, of course his masterwork Elijah is second only to Handel's Messiah in world renown. There are other greats, like his Hebrides Overture and his Scottish Symphony. Much of his work can be found free online download, or through the public library.
He was a musical prodigy, playing the piano and composing from childhood in Hamburg. Even Richard Wagner who despised his Jewishness and disparaged his race called him "the greatest, specifically musical genius to appear in the world since Mozart." But, a little more than a hundred years after Mendelssohn passed away (age 38) amid his premieres of Elijah, the Nazi's began their efforts of decanonizing his work and banning his music. They removed his statue and discredited his worth, which all Germany had attested a century before. Fortunately his work had already wound its way into world culture and never really disappeared. Post-Nazi efforts have recovered much of the records of his life and work.
All of this remarkable detail of his career, his music, his family and position in the wealthy and cultured Mendelssohn family in Germany; all of it is covered in detail in this hefty book. The scope of biographical detail includes his close relationship with his likewise gifted older sister Fanny. They both played, sang, and composed, and they supported each other in their music, and died only months apart; but Felix alone would have a career. Fanny's work was written mostly to be shared among friends, because of the limitations on a woman of high societal standing in her day. She did have a few things published though.
Felix's musical identity, his artistic depth, the family and society he lived in, his relationships and conflicts with other musicians; these provide the skeleton of the book. It is fleshed out with musical and historical details throughout, such as the description of a grand pipe organ built by Andreas Silberman for the Gothic Minister Cathedral. A lot is known about his life, through the publication of numerous diaries and books published earlier, like one published about the Wedding of Felix Mendelssohn. (It was a stupendous wedding!) He also lived at a pivotal time of the Industrial Revolution and eagerly awaited the opening of the Leipzig-Berlin Railroad for one. He later worked in the court of the Prussian King, and met well-known people like the famous Opera Soprano Jenny Lind.
While at the court, he collaborated with a poet to stage the tragedy of Antigone by Sophocles. Felix wrote the suite of incidental music for it. It was most interesting, considering that this play on the third part of the Oedipus Trilogy treats the moral dilemma of Antigone being sentenced to death for betraying the King's order to leave her brother unburied on the battlefield. The court of Frederick William was at this time intent upon bolstering the post-Napoleonic Restoration and resisting constitutional reform. While the King was sympathetic to King Creon in the play, the public sided with Antigone (as appears did Felix.)
This work is filled with illustrations of the music throughout. There are also a photo section and charts and appendices, as well as a family tree at the front. Each of his works are analyzed and described. This is most helpful in understanding the impact of his music. For example, Felix's Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 is honored as a masterwork which serves a a model for later composers. Like Hamlet, this Violin Concerto is full of musical quotations. Later composers imitated his experiment with displacing the cadenza from the traditional place near the end of the music. Jean Sibelius, for one, employed an expanded cadenza in lieu of a development in his brooding Violin Concerto of 1903.
I recommend this book for those interested in great composers, music history, and the lives of Jewish converts in Europe. I chose it for all these reasons, as well as the fact that I love Mendelssohn's music. He has some of the most peaceful music in the classic genre today. It is a very heavy hardback and comes from the courtesy of the local public library, though it would be great to own it as a future reference. Of course... I take copious notes so no worries - I'm playing Mendelssohn.
Felix Mendelssohn was born into a prominent Jewish family in Hamburg Germany. At his parents' suggestion, he and his siblings converted to Christianity to fit in with a Christian Germany that was politically charged already against outsiders. It's important to note though that the wealthy status of his family afforded Felix quite a bit of education, privilege, comfort, and societal/ personal protections. But, there is so much more to the life of this gifted prodigy that deserves a deeper dive into the history, and Todd's book is a great place to do that.
I could start with the majesty of Mendelssohn's music. The oratorios, such as Paul and Peter; the vividness and vitality of his Violin Concerto in E Minor; the coloristic orchestration of his symphonies which blended the Classical with the Romantic reveal the breadth of his musical talent, and the way it grew over his career. Some people think more of the wedding march from Midsummer's Night's Dream, which has a more light-hearted whimsical breath of fairy land. His revival of Bach and Handel... well, of course his masterwork Elijah is second only to Handel's Messiah in world renown. There are other greats, like his Hebrides Overture and his Scottish Symphony. Much of his work can be found free online download, or through the public library.
He was a musical prodigy, playing the piano and composing from childhood in Hamburg. Even Richard Wagner who despised his Jewishness and disparaged his race called him "the greatest, specifically musical genius to appear in the world since Mozart." But, a little more than a hundred years after Mendelssohn passed away (age 38) amid his premieres of Elijah, the Nazi's began their efforts of decanonizing his work and banning his music. They removed his statue and discredited his worth, which all Germany had attested a century before. Fortunately his work had already wound its way into world culture and never really disappeared. Post-Nazi efforts have recovered much of the records of his life and work.
All of this remarkable detail of his career, his music, his family and position in the wealthy and cultured Mendelssohn family in Germany; all of it is covered in detail in this hefty book. The scope of biographical detail includes his close relationship with his likewise gifted older sister Fanny. They both played, sang, and composed, and they supported each other in their music, and died only months apart; but Felix alone would have a career. Fanny's work was written mostly to be shared among friends, because of the limitations on a woman of high societal standing in her day. She did have a few things published though.
Felix's musical identity, his artistic depth, the family and society he lived in, his relationships and conflicts with other musicians; these provide the skeleton of the book. It is fleshed out with musical and historical details throughout, such as the description of a grand pipe organ built by Andreas Silberman for the Gothic Minister Cathedral. A lot is known about his life, through the publication of numerous diaries and books published earlier, like one published about the Wedding of Felix Mendelssohn. (It was a stupendous wedding!) He also lived at a pivotal time of the Industrial Revolution and eagerly awaited the opening of the Leipzig-Berlin Railroad for one. He later worked in the court of the Prussian King, and met well-known people like the famous Opera Soprano Jenny Lind.
While at the court, he collaborated with a poet to stage the tragedy of Antigone by Sophocles. Felix wrote the suite of incidental music for it. It was most interesting, considering that this play on the third part of the Oedipus Trilogy treats the moral dilemma of Antigone being sentenced to death for betraying the King's order to leave her brother unburied on the battlefield. The court of Frederick William was at this time intent upon bolstering the post-Napoleonic Restoration and resisting constitutional reform. While the King was sympathetic to King Creon in the play, the public sided with Antigone (as appears did Felix.)
This work is filled with illustrations of the music throughout. There are also a photo section and charts and appendices, as well as a family tree at the front. Each of his works are analyzed and described. This is most helpful in understanding the impact of his music. For example, Felix's Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 is honored as a masterwork which serves a a model for later composers. Like Hamlet, this Violin Concerto is full of musical quotations. Later composers imitated his experiment with displacing the cadenza from the traditional place near the end of the music. Jean Sibelius, for one, employed an expanded cadenza in lieu of a development in his brooding Violin Concerto of 1903.
I recommend this book for those interested in great composers, music history, and the lives of Jewish converts in Europe. I chose it for all these reasons, as well as the fact that I love Mendelssohn's music. He has some of the most peaceful music in the classic genre today. It is a very heavy hardback and comes from the courtesy of the local public library, though it would be great to own it as a future reference. Of course... I take copious notes so no worries - I'm playing Mendelssohn.
June 10, 2012
If you love Musical biographies, or are interested in ANYTHING related to Mendelssohn, this is the place to start. Todd has covered pretty much everything in his research here. This book opened my eyes to a new world of music by Mendelssohn. Seriously, check it out.
January 8, 2026
I have to stop doomscrolling Goodreads in the middle of the night.... I'm no better than my lot :(
November 14, 2016
Mendelssohn, the Workaholic Genius
Mendelssohn is one of those composers who, while never being denied the title of genius, doesn't get as much attention as others from the Romantic Era. He left behind an incredible corpus, and this book went into great detail on a lot of it. Todd does a great job handling the various narrative threads while also commenting on the music itself, replete with numerous musical examples. Something else that I wasn't expecting was the amount of time devoted to his sister, Fanny, who, it turns out, was extremely vital to his early musical development, and vice versa. Fanny Hensel definitely doesn't get the attention she deserves, and was glad she got it here. Also of importance was the discussion about Jews and assimilation in 19th century German society, a painful reminder of the limits to human tolerance that have unfortunately gained fresh relevance. Ultimately, though, I found this biography to be well-researched and written in an interesting way. Highly recommended for the musician and or historian in us.
Mendelssohn is one of those composers who, while never being denied the title of genius, doesn't get as much attention as others from the Romantic Era. He left behind an incredible corpus, and this book went into great detail on a lot of it. Todd does a great job handling the various narrative threads while also commenting on the music itself, replete with numerous musical examples. Something else that I wasn't expecting was the amount of time devoted to his sister, Fanny, who, it turns out, was extremely vital to his early musical development, and vice versa. Fanny Hensel definitely doesn't get the attention she deserves, and was glad she got it here. Also of importance was the discussion about Jews and assimilation in 19th century German society, a painful reminder of the limits to human tolerance that have unfortunately gained fresh relevance. Ultimately, though, I found this biography to be well-researched and written in an interesting way. Highly recommended for the musician and or historian in us.
Read
September 8, 2009I'm still reading it, but especially if you're a musician, or have a background in music, it's a very complete bio of Felix Mendelssohn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2024
THE BEST BIOGRAPHY OF MENDELSSOHN
R. Larry Todd is Professor of Musicology at Duke University; he has also written a biography of Mendelssohn's sister, 'Fanny Hensel: The Other Mendelssohn,' as well as other books such as 'Schumann and His World.'
He wrote in the Preface to this 2003 book, "the idea of Mendelssohn as a superficial, effeminate Victorian cannot stand... The persistent idea of Mendelssohn as a genteel lightweight, whose refined music buckled beneath the dramatic cogency of Beethoven's or elephantine mass of Wagner's scores, also requires reassessment. We may yet realize that imposing a Beethovenian or Wagnerian yardstick on Mendelssohn does injustice to his music." (Pg. xxvii)
He observes, "Inevitably, Felix's youthful efforts prompt comparison with those of another prodigy to whom he would often be compared---Mozart... Both Wolfgang and Felix had older sisters who exhibited precocious musical gifts; both were proficient at the keyboard and violin; and both composed fluently at early ages in a variety of genres. And yet, their educational and social backgrounds were strikingly dissimilar... Felix's and Fanny's musical training was part of their general education, not a means of economic betterment." (Pg. 48) In fact, some performers of Felix's Piano Quartet in D minor thought it better than Mozart's work of the same age; "Felix was an improved version of the young Mozart." (Pg. 89)
Of his Songs Without Words, Todd suggests, "(they) may have been related to a musical game he had played as a child with his sister, in which they devised verses to fit to instrumental pieces. If so, Fanny may have played a role in developing the new genre; the Lieder may have been a 'means of communication for Felix and Fanny'..." (Pg. 191)
He notes, "Felix's visit to the timeless city (Rome) thus facilitated an immersion into sacred Catholic music, yet confirmed his identity as a Protestant German composer. But as he studied Gregorian chant in St. Peter's and admired Palestrina's mellifluous polyphony, Felix also took up several major works of a decidedly romantic and modern stance." (Pg. 243) He asserts, "Like St. Paul, Elijah raises critical issues that touch on Felix's own spiritual identity. His choice of an Old Testament subject sometimes has been viewed as a late-in-life reaffirmation of his Judaic roots..." (Pg. 551)
This book is essential reading for anyone wanting to know about the life and works of Mendelssohn.
R. Larry Todd is Professor of Musicology at Duke University; he has also written a biography of Mendelssohn's sister, 'Fanny Hensel: The Other Mendelssohn,' as well as other books such as 'Schumann and His World.'
He wrote in the Preface to this 2003 book, "the idea of Mendelssohn as a superficial, effeminate Victorian cannot stand... The persistent idea of Mendelssohn as a genteel lightweight, whose refined music buckled beneath the dramatic cogency of Beethoven's or elephantine mass of Wagner's scores, also requires reassessment. We may yet realize that imposing a Beethovenian or Wagnerian yardstick on Mendelssohn does injustice to his music." (Pg. xxvii)
He observes, "Inevitably, Felix's youthful efforts prompt comparison with those of another prodigy to whom he would often be compared---Mozart... Both Wolfgang and Felix had older sisters who exhibited precocious musical gifts; both were proficient at the keyboard and violin; and both composed fluently at early ages in a variety of genres. And yet, their educational and social backgrounds were strikingly dissimilar... Felix's and Fanny's musical training was part of their general education, not a means of economic betterment." (Pg. 48) In fact, some performers of Felix's Piano Quartet in D minor thought it better than Mozart's work of the same age; "Felix was an improved version of the young Mozart." (Pg. 89)
Of his Songs Without Words, Todd suggests, "(they) may have been related to a musical game he had played as a child with his sister, in which they devised verses to fit to instrumental pieces. If so, Fanny may have played a role in developing the new genre; the Lieder may have been a 'means of communication for Felix and Fanny'..." (Pg. 191)
He notes, "Felix's visit to the timeless city (Rome) thus facilitated an immersion into sacred Catholic music, yet confirmed his identity as a Protestant German composer. But as he studied Gregorian chant in St. Peter's and admired Palestrina's mellifluous polyphony, Felix also took up several major works of a decidedly romantic and modern stance." (Pg. 243) He asserts, "Like St. Paul, Elijah raises critical issues that touch on Felix's own spiritual identity. His choice of an Old Testament subject sometimes has been viewed as a late-in-life reaffirmation of his Judaic roots..." (Pg. 551)
This book is essential reading for anyone wanting to know about the life and works of Mendelssohn.
March 13, 2021
Todd presents a detailed biography of Mendelssohn situated in his historical time as well as musical context. While such detail could be overwhelming, Todd's writing is so clear and weaves together many aspects of Mendelssohn, his family, and especially his sister Fanny that Todd easily engages readers. Todd, of course, also covers Mendelssohn's musical works in depth, detailing the editing and how the works came to Mendelssohn's final form, influences on his music and his development, as well as relationships he honored with attributions of works. The book presents many parts of musical scores in Todd's explanation of the musical forms. The book portrays truly what it claims: a life in music.
The book is divided in three major parts, each subdivided into chapters, which in turn are divided into parts. This makes it easy to bite off chunks one can handle time or information wise. The book includes a list of illustrations, Acknowledgements, a Genealogical Tree, a Map, a Preface, and a Prologue which details historical and family background important for understanding Mendelssohn and his work. The book concludes with a section on Abbreviations, Notes, a Bibliography, an Index of Mendelssohn's Works, and a General Index.
It is a long read but highly recommended.
The book is divided in three major parts, each subdivided into chapters, which in turn are divided into parts. This makes it easy to bite off chunks one can handle time or information wise. The book includes a list of illustrations, Acknowledgements, a Genealogical Tree, a Map, a Preface, and a Prologue which details historical and family background important for understanding Mendelssohn and his work. The book concludes with a section on Abbreviations, Notes, a Bibliography, an Index of Mendelssohn's Works, and a General Index.
It is a long read but highly recommended.
April 17, 2022
I chose this as my annual composer biography as I have always enjoyed Mendelssohn's music and wanted to learn more about him. Todd certainly provides a dutiful account of Mendelssohn the musician, but the work seems to be strictly limited in scope to only include what is relevant to Mendelssohn's music life. There are mentions of his family, his and Fanny's parallel musical development, his travels, etc., but all of these seem to be included only if they help explain his musical learning or expression at the time. The technical details of a person's work life may be interesting and useful to an extent, but for me the most valuable part of a biography is what the reader can learn and apply to his or her own life. Todd certainly did well with the scope that he defined for himself, but I see this narrow scope as a missed opportunity for the elements of Mendelssohn's personal life that could have been captured more fully.
August 2, 2020
A comprehensive look at one of my favorite composers. The narrative structure of this book is a little weak, but that can be forgiven as it is a biography. Also, it makes up for it with the plethora of musical notations that Todd examines (with examples). I have much more Mendelssohn to listen to and I know I will be pulling this book out in the future when I want to review the musical breakdowns and appreciate Mendelssohn’s genius more fully.
December 19, 2023
A wonderful narrative that exposes Mendelssohn's music in relation to his ever-busy, complicated personal life. Sister Fanny is a huge character in this narrative (and the subject of a future Todd biography), and bouncing her story off of Felix's is both a wonderful description of a prodigious sibling duo and a frustrating depiction of what could have been, and how Felix arguably stood in her way throughout.
November 7, 2018
I got to know Mendelssohn
Loved this book. In depth on his life and his music and faith. Loved the parts his conducting. A long read but worth it.
Loved this book. In depth on his life and his music and faith. Loved the parts his conducting. A long read but worth it.
December 24, 2018
Mendelssohn is a composer that's not as canonized as his peers, but certainly is as deserving as an innovator and to be thanked for his revival of Bach's Matthew Passion.
April 16, 2019
May be considered best biography but way too much detail!
Gave up about a quarter of the way in to the book.
Gave up about a quarter of the way in to the book.
July 5, 2014
I like the reverie of Felix Mendelssohn, "If loving nature / gave you strength's pleasure, / Create freely and merrily."
February 20, 2016
A great telling of the life of Felix Mendelssohn.
November 27, 2017
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14819978
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14819978
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews