With the extreme popularity of his Third, Fourth, and Fifth symphonies, the earlier symphonies of Felix Mendelssohn are all too often forgotten and neglected. This includes the First and Second "full" symphonies, but even more significant are the string symphonies that predated even these. Between the astonishing ages of 12 and 14, Mendelssohn completed 12 complete symphonies for strings and began work on a 13th before abandoning it to begin work on the first full symphony. These 12 short works are masterpieces that, were ...
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With the extreme popularity of his Third, Fourth, and Fifth symphonies, the earlier symphonies of Felix Mendelssohn are all too often forgotten and neglected. This includes the First and Second "full" symphonies, but even more significant are the string symphonies that predated even these. Between the astonishing ages of 12 and 14, Mendelssohn completed 12 complete symphonies for strings and began work on a 13th before abandoning it to begin work on the first full symphony. These 12 short works are masterpieces that, were it not for the grandeur of the later, well-known symphonies, would likely be heralded as the incredible achievements that they are. Though youthful, they nonetheless demonstrate Mendelssohn's staggering talent at a young age. The influence of Bach (both J.S. and C.P.E.) can be heard throughout their movements, but Mendelssohn's own individual voice can be heard emerging in each progressive symphony. This Oehms Classics three-disc makes up the complete string symphonies performed by...
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