Felix Mendelssohn completed his Octet in E-flat Major in October of 1825. He was sixteen years old and an established child prodigy. His compositional and performative abilities were renowned amongst the intellectual elite that his prominent German family socialized with. Four years prior, Mendelssohn's composition teacher Carl Zelter presented his student to Goethe; the poet proclaimed Mendelssohn's improvisational skills to be far greater than those of Mozart's.

Mendelssohn's compositional genius seemed destined to flourish. And though he did go on to a distinguished career as a composer and conductor, Mendelssohn's place amongst the composition greats of the Common Practice Era (1600-1900) is currently debated. Musicologists speak of the Mendelssohn "problem" which refers to the opinion that his mature works are considerably less good than his earlier output. That perspective has born the notion that Mendelssohn's early successes were the product of a youthful spontaneity - a kind of happy accident - which he was unable to sustain. 

Part of this attitude comes from Mendelssohn's stylistic conservatism. Unlike his contemporaries Franz Liszt and Hector Berlioz who fully embraced the radicalness of Romanticism within their music, Mendelssohn continued to work with more traditional modes: composing within sonata form, using conventional harmonic progressions, writing standard counterpoint between voices, etc. Mendelssohn's reverence was for the past. He would go on to revive J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion, conducting the piece in 1829. At the time, it was an all but forgotten masterpiece. 

James A. Keene writes, "[Mendelssohn] looked back over his shoulder at Beethoven who died when Mendelssohn was eighteen. Mozart's presence haunted and inspired him, and Bach was a continuous artistic force throughout his life. As Beethoven composed consciously for posterity, so it became impossible for serious composers following this giant to return to a more humble view of their art." Keene is referring to Mendelssohn's habit of revising works multiple times. And indeed he revised the Octet before it appeared in print for the first time in 1833. Keene paints a more complex picture of the composer than earlier historians had granted him. Mendelssohn, he asserts, was not merely a flippant boy genius that stumbled upon greatness but rather a composer whose awareness of the cannon caused him to rework pieces again and again. It was perhaps his vigorous approach to working that led to his early death at the age of 38. "Above all," Keene states, "Mendelssohn's story is one of hard work."

In its intricately woven make-up the Octet demonstrates Mendelssohn's highly discerning and disciplined nature. One can clearly hear the influence of J.S. Bach in the sophisticated eight part counterpoint. Yet formally, Mendelssohn continues the trajectory of the high-Classical symphonies. Each movement contains multiple themes, some of which reappear in later movements. Mendelssohn himself noted in the original manuscript that,  "This Octet must be played by all the instruments in symphonic orchestral style. Pianos and fortes must be strictly observed and more strongly emphasized than is usual in pieces of this character." 

The piece, then, lies somewhere between chamber and orchestral performance practice: an unusual position, yet one that seems to fit Mendelssohn's character. He did afterall bridge the classical and romantic eras and was able to integrate the two styles seamlessly. Mendelssohn's command of classical aesthetics is clearly evident in the craftiness of the Octet. But the other component- the romantic, forward thinking element of his voice- is just as inspired if not as developed. The darker side of Mendelssohn conjures some of the most haunted landscapes I have ever experienced in music- something that feels both personal (internal) and hollow (external). This quality reminds me of the 20th century composer Benjamin Britten (interestingly Mendelssohn enjoyed a strong following in Britain during his lifetime). 

I also hear Franz Schubert in his harmonies and Giacomo Rossini in his string writing. To me, the first violin part in the Octet is truly a soprano role. There are many facets of Mendelssohn- and this is one reason the Nouveau Ensemble is presenting the Octet in this series of concerts. The piece is also incredibly fun to play. Where others may have different associations with this piece, there is an extraordinary amount of energy that seems universally felt and heard. Kim and Annabelle both speak of the "adrenaline rush"  at the start of the 4th movement- a mix of being simultaneously exhilarated and terrified. 

BRAINSTORM:

-qualities of Mendelssohn:

pastoral (like LvB)

ghostly, transparent, haunting, yearning

volatile

pop aesthetic (Schubert)

operatic (Rossini)

German and Italian qualities

Feb. 3rd, 1809 to November 4th, 1847 (38 at time of death)

-born into prominent Jewish family though not raised with religion 

-was recognized as a child prodigy but parents did not capitalize on this, were cautious

-revived interest in Bach

-was beloved in England

-considered conservative as compared to Liszt, Berlioz. 

-founded Leipzig Conservatoire, which was a bastion of anti radicalism

Octet: 1825

-written at age 16!

-first large scale piece of his 

-1821 meets Goethe

-1825 is also the year his grandmother have him a copy of St. Massions Passion, which he would conduct in Berlin 1829

1825 Interesting Facts:

-London becomes the largest city in the world, previously Beijing

-a Scottish adventurer takes out a loan to visit a fake Central American country, creating the first modern stock market crash

-the Erie Canal opens

-Christianity is banned in Vietnam

-The Unitarian Church is founded

-the worlds first modern railway opens in England

-circumstances of abilities

-Mendelssohn "problem" and understanding of his music

-the Octet 

-performing the Octet