Felix Mendelssohn

[Goswin_van_Eyck]

Although Felix Mendelssohn was a close contemporary of Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Wagner and Verdi (all six were born within five years of each other), his musical nature was more traditionally Classical than that of his contemporaries. Although he grew up surrounded by Romantic influences, his inspirations were essentially the works of Bach, Handel, and Mozart. Mendelssohn excelled as a composer in all musical genres except opera, and his gift for writing lyrical melodies was unsurpassed during the Nineteenth Century. His impeccable musical craftsmanship and his thorough knowledge and understanding of the media for which he wrote remain the distinguishing traits of his elegant, refined music. History has rewarded him with genuine and continuing popularity with symphony audiences and with students of the piano around the world. While Mendelssohn is remembered today primarily as a composer of a considerable body of masterful works, it should be noted that the bulk of his time was spent as an orchestra conductor and festival organizer. When viewed in this light, his creative accomplishments seem even more astonishing.

http://www.carolinaclassical.com/mendelssohn/

His Symphony No.5 (Reformation) and several other works are on this site available in ReaL MP.