Mendelssohn and Mahler Tickets

Mendelssohn and Mahler
Felix Mendelssohn and Gustav Mahler are undoubtedly the well renowned music composers of the Romanic and late-romantic era, whose music and compositions are celebrated and heard even today.

Mendelssohn was born on February 3, 1809 in Hamburg, Germany as Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Mendelssohns father, Abraham Mendelssohn, was a banker by profession and was son of a Philosopher Moses Mendelssohn.

Mendelssohn was born in a Jewish family but in his early childhood he was raised with no religious teachings until 1816, when he was baptized as Christian. Felix had one Brother Paul and two Sisters, Fanny and Rebecca. Fanny also went on to become a pianist and a composer, but stayed an amateur.

Felix Mendelssohn started taking music and piano lessons at an early childhood age, and was considered a childhood prodigy just like Mozart. He learnt under the supervision of Marie Bigot in Paris, when he was 7 and later from 1817 he was taught by Carl Friedrich Zelter, after his family moved to Berlin in 1811.

Mendelssohn performed in a chamber music concert at the age of 9, which was his first live performance, and later as he turned 13 he wrote his first published work, which was a piano quartet. Mendelssohn was also tutored by Ignaz Moscheles.

After graduating from University of Berlin in 1829, he headed towards Britain for the first time and met Moscheles there, who then introduced Mendelssohn to several influential music circles. Mendelssohns first symphony brought him great success and afterwards he started performing in private and public concerts.

He earned enough fame in Britain and his music was also personally admired by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, after he met them. During his lifetime he visited Britain ten times and developed a sound fan base there, two of his greatest works, the overture Fingals Cave A.K.A Hebrides Overture and Scottish Symphony A.K.A Symphony No. 3, were results of the inspiration he took from his visit to Scotland.

Mendelssohn was appointed the Conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1835, and he pursued his dream of playing a vital role in his countrys musical life, although efforts were made by King of Prussia to keep him in Berlin, still he stayed in Leipzig and founded Leipzig Conservatory in 1843.

He was married to Cecile Jeanrenaud on March 28, 1837 and had five children from his marriage; Carl, Marie, Paul Lilli, and Felix. Due to Overwork and nervous problems, Mendelssohn suffered bad health in his final years and died on November 4, 1847 after a series of strokes leaving himself behind in form of his music.

Mendelssohn was a composer of Early Romantic Era, and provided inspirations to Late-Romantic Eras composers including Gustav Mahler. Mahler was born on July 7, 1860 in Kali?te, Bohemia, which is presently in the Czech Republic. Mahler was also born in Jewish family that moved to Jihlava when he was young.

After observing Mahlers talents, his parents arranged piano lessons for him when he was only six years of age. Mahler later took piano lessons under the supervision of Julius Epstein, after he was admitted to Vienna Conservatoire in 1875. There, he was also tutored for harmony by Robert Fuchs and composition by Franz Krenn.

After that he studied at Vienna University under Anton Bruckner. While working at the University as a music teacher he took his first shot at composition when he composed cantata Das klagende Lied.

Mahler was appointed as a Conductor in 1880 at the summer theatre at Brad Hall, and as his fame rose he started taking even larger opera houses. Mahler made a strong impact on listeners and critics when he was appointed the conductor at Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.

In 1897 Mahler was offered the most prestigious post in Austrian Empire, which was the directorship of the Vienna Opera, but since not Jew was allowed to occupy that post, he converted to Roman Catholicism. And after spending ten years as the director of the Vienna Opera, he raised the bar of the artistic standards of the Opera.

Mahler married Alma Schindler on March 9, 1902, who was also a composer and a musician. From this marriage Mahler had two daughters Maria Anna and Anna. Maria died of Diphtheria at the age of four, while Anna grew up to become a sculptor.

In 1907, after the death of his daughter, Mahler was also diagnosed with a serious heart disease. The same year, Mahler also resigned as the director of Vienna Opera. While Mahler was working on his Symphony No. 10, he died of his infection at the age of 50 on May 18, 1911.

Mendelssohn and Mahlers symphony concerts are still attended and admired by many, all across the globe.