Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

The year 1839 was notable for the composi tion of the 'Ruy Blas' overture for the Leipzig Theatre and the setting of the 114th Psalm to music. In the following year the invention of printing was celebrated in Leipzig by a festival, and the (Festgesang,) for men's voices, and and 'Midsummer Night's Dream.' Another sad trial now befell him in the death of his mother, 12 Dec. 1842, and in No vember of the following year he removed to Berlin. The king of Saxony had recently established a conservatory of music, a plan which Mendelssohn had long cherished, and he and Schumann were appointed professors e composition and the piano. Meanwhile the Gewandhaus concerts were left in charge of Hiller. In 1844 he visited London for the eighth time in response to an invitation to direct several concerts of the London Phil harmonic Society. In October he resigned his position as General-Musik-Director in Berlin and took a much-needed rest until the autumn of 1845 when he again assumed charge of the Gewandhaus orchestra.

Early in 1846 he was back in Leipzig where he took charge of two classes in piano and com position, and among his pupils were Gold schmidt, De Sentis, Tausch and others. The season of 1845-4 wasunusually brilliant in con cert work and the program showed a great breadth of selection. At the eighth concert he brought with him Jenny Lind, who was then heard for the first time in Leipzig. On 5 Aug. 1846, a preliminary rehearsal of 'Elijah' was held in Leipzig and soon after he started for England on his ninth visit, the complete score having been sent over a month earlier for trans lation. First there was a rehearsal with piano accompaniment at Moscheles' house, followed by two full rehearsals at the Hanover Square Rooms, and later by rehearsals in Birmingham, where on 26 August the oratorio was per formed for the -first time in public. One of his biographers states that "there was a mad rush at the close of the performance to grasp the hand of the hero of the day, who thanked all present for their share in the performance with which he was so deeply gratified." Returning to Leipzig he remodeled the oratorio, however, making so many changes that scarcely a move ment stands to-day as it was originally written. The complete edition was published in July 1847. The Sacred Harmonic Society of Lon don now invited Mendelssohn to give a pro duction of 'Elijah' in its revised form in Exeter Hall, and for the tenth and last time he visited London in April 1847. Four per formances were given, Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort being present at the second of the series. After giving other productions of the 'Elijah' in Manchester and Birmingham, followed by a performance with the Philhar monic Society, he returned to Frankfort, weary and utterly worn out. To add to his now un happy condition, his sister Fanny, whom he had loved devotedly, was stricken with paralysis and died 14 May 1847. On hearing the sad news

he fell fainting and for several weeks was utterly prostrated. Seeking diversion, he re visited Switzerland during the summer, where, it is said, he applied himself to water-color painting and made excellent progress in that direction. Later he resumed composition, num bering among his productions at that time the beautiful quartet in F minor (Opus 80), and he also wrote some parts of a newly com menced oratorio, (Christus,) which he left un finished. He returned to Leipzig in September, but attempted nothing serious in a musical way. His spirit was broken and he dreaded to appear in public. The beginning of the end came on 9 October while calling on Madame Frege, whom he was accompanying in his last set of songs. She left the room to order lights, says one of his biographers, and on her return found him shivering and suffering violent pains in the head. He rallied somewhat, but another relapse occurred on 3 November and he never spoke again. He died the following day and on Sun day, the 7th, was borne to the Paulinen-Kirche, preceded by a band playing one of his 'Lieder ohne Wort& (Book V, No. 3), which Mosch eles had scored for the occasion. Thence the coffin was taken to the Alte Dreifaltigkeits Kirchhof in Berlin, where it was deposited in its last resting place.

A cross on the grave bears this inscription: "Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: geboren zu Hamburg, am 3 Feb. 1809; ge storben zu Leipzig am 4 Nov. 1847.'' Mendelssohn's 'Letters from Italy and Switzerland,' translated by Lady Wal lace (2d ed., 1862) ; 'Letters from 1833 to 1847,' with catalogue of all musical compositions, translated by Lady Wallace (1863) ; 'Letters of Mendelssohn to Ignatz and Charlotte Mosche les,' translated by Felix Moscheles (1888) ; 'Reisebriefe von Felix Mendelssohn-Bar tholdy,' edited by Paul Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1862) ; also Benedict, 'Sketch of Life and Works of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy) (1850) ; Hogarth, 'The Philharmonic Society of London' (1862) ; Lampadius, 'Life of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy,> translated by W. L. Gage (1865) • Devrient, 'My Recollections of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy,' translated by Natalia Macfarren (1869); Polko, 'Remi niscences of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy,) translated by Lady Wallace (1869); (Aus Moscheles Leben,' translated by A. D. Cole ridge (1873) Hiller, 'Mendelssohn: Letters and Recollections,) translated by M. E. von Glehn (1874) • Karl Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, 'Goethe and Mendelssohn 1821-31,> translated by M. E. von Glehn (1872)f Horsley, 'Reminis cences of Mendelssohn) (in Dwight's 'jour nal of Music)); Dorn, 'Recollections of Felix Mendelssohn and his Friends) (Temple Bar for February 1872) ; Hensel, 'Die Familie Men delssohn 1729-1847) (1879) ; (Thematisches Verzeichniss der in Druck erschienenen Corn positionen von Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy' (1882); Eckhardt, (Ferdinand David and die Familie Mendelssohn-Bartholdy) (1888); Little, (Mendelssohn's Music to the Antigone of (1893) Grove, (Dictionary of Mu sic and Musicians;; Elson, 'Great Composers and their Work) (1898) Ryan, 'Recollections of an old Musician' (1849); Hubbard, 'Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Musicians' (1901) ; Stratton, (Mendelssohn) (1901); Pearce, Organ Sonatas Tech nically and Critically Discussed> (1902)