Born into a wealthy and culturally sophisticated Jewish family in Hamburg, Germany, Felix Mendelssohn, born Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, was born on February 3, 1809, to a banker, Abraham Mendelssohn, and Lea Salomon, who came from a musical family. In Prussia and much of Europe in the early 19th century, People of the Jewish faith faced antisemitism in the form of social, professional, and legal restrictions. Although Abraham distanced himself from his Jewish faith for some time, the family formally converted to Christianity when Felix was seven years old in 1816. Felix, that same year, along with his sisters and younger brother, was baptized as a Lutheran, and the surname Bartholdy, from a property owned by a relative, was adopted by the family. Abraham was baptized into the Christian faith in 1822. This conversion would open more professional opportunities for Felix and his career. However, Felix often signed himself as Felix Mendelssohn in his professional life, as he felt it was not necessary for his artistic identity, and he valued continuity in his family heritage.
Mendelssohn showed an extraordinary talent at an early age, and his mother started giving him piano lessons. Soon after, he started learning music composition with a prominent music composition teacher in Berlin, Carl Friedrich Zelter. By the age of 16, he wrote the String Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20 (1825), a masterpiece that is considered one of the exceptional youthful works in all classical music. Besides public performances, Mendelssohn also continued to write chamber works as well as concertos and symphonies. At age 17, he wrote Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By the time he was in his 20s, he traveled Europe, not only seeing his muse through the majestic landscapes and creating well-known works as the Hebrides Overture and the Italian Symphony (No. 4) but also creating artwork through the medium of painting in watercolor. He became friends with Prince Albert and Queen Victoria during his trip to England. Queen Victoria sang for Mendelssohn, as her favorite piece was his Songs Without Words. Earlier, at the age of 20, Mendelssohn revived the interest in Johann Sebastian Bach’s works when he organized a performance of St. Matthew Passion in Berlin.
However, tragedy would strike as his father, Abraham Mendelssohn, died at 10:30 am on November 19, 1835, of a short illness described as declining health and age-related complications at the age of 72 in Berlin. Although Abraham was a strict father from time to time, Felix still respected and admired him and was grief-stricken with the passing of his father. Felix had lost a father, advisor, and moral compass. He strove to honor his father’s wishes, maintain family cohesion, utilize his energy for music, complete the oratorio St Paul, and strive for excellence. This death was also used as a professional turning point in Felix’s career. Mendelssohn stepped into a leadership role as he became the director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and it renewed his seriousness as he shaped the town of Leipzig into one of Europe’s major musical centers.
In early 1936, Mendelssohn met and fell in love with the daughter of a French Protestant clergyman, Cécile Charlotte Sophie Jeanrenaud, through mutual acquaintances in musical and church circles. Captivated by her beauty, gentleness, and grace, the couple became engaged in March of the same year. Mendelssohn’s family was happy to accept Cécile as part of the family. However, Fanny, who had a very close bond with her brother, felt a little bittersweet about the union at first, as Cécile would take the first-place spot in Felix’s life. However, she accepted and loved Cécile as the rest of the family did, as Cécile would provide the domestic peace that Felix needed. Fanny and Felix performed together in public. The wedding of Felix and Cécile took place on March 28, 1837, in a modest yet elegant ceremony at the French Reformed Church in Frankfurt. The marriage was very harmonious as they were perfect for each other. She provided a stable, warm, peaceful home that was welcoming for students, family, and musicians. It also served as a refuge from a hectic day as a musician. Felix, in his free time, sketched and painted portraits of Cécile. Together, they had Carl, Marie, Paul, Lili, and Felix August.
Tragedy struck once again as Mendelssohn’s dear sister and musical partner, Fanny, passed away suddenly of complications from a stroke she suffered during a rehearsal in Berlin on May 14, 1847. Felix, hearing about the loss of his sister, was inconsolable, exhausted, and ill with grief afterward. In the late summer of the same year, he suffered his first stroke, followed by two in October. Finally, in November, he had a massive stroke and died on November 4, 1847, in his home in Leipzig at the age of 38. Although his life was short, he became a legend in the Romantic era as his works influenced later Romantic composers and remained a staple in concert repertoire.