The world of Mendelssohn

By Tim Croft
Western Herald

Music lovers will be thrilled with the Kalamazoo Symphony’s first concert of the fall.

This is first in the “World of …” series, which will bring to the spotlight one individual composer for each show.
This concert will feature German born composer Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847).

The performance will take place Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Light Fine Arts Center of Kalamazoo College at the corner Academy and Thompson Streets.

Raymond Harvey conducts the Kalamazoo Symphony in this performance celebrating the bicentennial of Mendelssohn’s birth.

Harvey was quick to comment on why he chose Mendelssohn as a feature in this year’s “World of…” series.

“I always try to feature one well-known composer and one lesser-known composer in the “World of…” series,” he said.
“Mendelssohn seemed like a natural choice.”

Mendelssohn has been called the “Mozart of the 19th century.” His ability to play with Romantic era emotions, and Classical era harmony is unsurpassed in the classical world.

He began composing at an astonishingly early age, and before he was 14 had written twelve string symphonies. By 17 he had penned the overture to Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the concert’s opening piece.

Several years later, in 1843, Mendelssohn went on to complete the music for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with one of his most famous pieces, “The Wedding March,” also featured at this Sunday’s concert.
Although these two works were composed nearly twenty years apart, there exists a strong connection between them.

“The amazing thing about the overture to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is that it sounds like the work of a mature composer,” Harvey said.

“Mendelssohn, at the age of 17, had already developed a confidence and vibrancy. You hear a seamless transition from the music of his ‘Opus 21’ to that of his ‘Opus 61.’”

The second piece of the evening will take the audience to the lush land of Scotland.

The “Scherzo,” or second movement, from Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony is a piece that looks to Beethoven for inspiration. It is aggressive, yet tame, with a delightfully playful theme.
This is the composer’s final symphony and is one of his most famous works.

“The Scottish Symphony, along with the Italian Symphony, are his best known symphonies,” Harvey said. “They both have an exuberant flair. Mendelssohn loved the sea and loved traveling outside of his native Germany. He was inspired by his surroundings, and that shows in the music he wrote.”

The first of Mendelssohn’s string quartets will also be performed this Sunday. This quartet also looked to Beethoven for inspiration.
It is an intimate piece of music that the composer based on a previously published song of his entitled, “Frage.”

The KSO’s own Burdick-Thorne String Quartet will be featured in this portion of the concert.

The concert will conclude with the overture to “The Fair Melusina.” Although it is not one of the most performed of Mendelssohn’s works, Harvey thinks it deserves recognition.

“Although Mendelssohn thought the overture to “The Fair Melusina” was one of his best works, it never really caught on with the public,” Harvey said.

“I think it’s neat to let even the most knowledgeable musical audience hear a work that they scarcely know. “Melusina” is filled with the sounds of the sea, both calm and turbulent. It’s a great piece.”

Tickets for the concert are $25 for adults and $8 for students and seniors.

Tickets can be purchased at the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office, by phone at 228-9858, or on the Web at www.kalamazoosymphony.com.

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Posted by heraldstaff on Sep 30 2009. Filed under Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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