Overview

The prodigiously gifted Felix Mendelssohn astounded audiences everywhere with his prowess as pianist and conductor, and he caused them to marvel at his phenomenal memory and the power and sensitivity of his public performances. But already in his early twenties he said that he always followed all [his] public musical pursuits purely out of a sense of duty, never from inclination. Now what if this godfearing man with his powerful sense of duty has a beautiful, devoted, but not musically gifted wife and often expresses gratitude to God for her and for their children yet once declared that for him music was indispensable and as necessary for intimate relationships as was air ? And what if he meets someone whom he describes as a phenomenon that would not recur in hundreds of years, and as the most genuine and noble female singer he has ever met? (She, in turn, describes him to friends as the purest and finest of all the artists ). These are some of the dilemmas Felix Mendelssohn had to face. What would it take for him to discover how he must live and function in the complex web of his relationships? The author does not spell out the answers to these and other questions, but careful reading of Mendelssohn's own words albeit often stated only in subtle hints because he was reluctant to express his deepest feelings in writing will provide some answers. Reading Felix Mendelssohn: out of the Depths of His Heart will also shed light on how this complex, remarkable genius dealt with the tension between passion and duty.

Full Product Details

9781770693685

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available