Felix Mendelssohn wrote thirteen string symphonies between 1821 and 1823, when he was between 12 and 14 years old. (For his mature symphonies, see

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). These symphonies were tributes to Classical symphonies especially by Joseph Haydn, Johann Christian Bach,

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788), also formerly spelled Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, and commonly abbreviated C. P. E. Bach, was a German Classical period musician and composer, the fifth child and sec ...

, and

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

Instrumentation

The symphonies are written for a string orchestra. String Symphony No. 11 also contains percussion (

timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...

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, cymbals) in the second movement. No. 8 exists in two forms: the original for string orchestra, and an arrangement that Mendelssohn wrote that added woodwinds,

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, and timpani. The work is scored for two flutes, two

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s, two clarinets, two bassoons, two

horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

s, two trumpets, timpani in D and A, and strings. (A typical performance lasts half an hour).Recording on Allmusic, "Various Artists Mendelssohn: The Masterworks"
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Structure

Most of the string symphonies were composed in three movements, with the exceptions of nos. 7, 8 and 9, which are in four movements, nos. 10 and 13 which are in one movement, and no. 11 which is in five movements."Twelve String Symphonies"
at

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Symphonies

No. 1 in C major

# Allegro # Andante # Allegro

No. 2 in D major

# Allegro # Andante # Allegro vivace

No. 3 in E minor

# Allegro di molto # Andante # Allegro

No. 4 in C minor

# Grave – Allegro # Andante # Allegro vivace

No. 5 in B-flat major

# Allegro vivace # Andante # Presto

No. 6 in E-flat major

# Allegro # Menuetto # Prestissimo

No. 7 in D minor

# Allegro # Andante amorevole # Menuetto # Allegro molto

No. 8 in D major

# Adagio e grave – Allegro # Adagio # Menuetto # Allegro molto

No. 9 in C major

# Grave – Allegro # Andante # Scherzo # Allegro vivace

No. 10 in B minor

# Adagio – Allegro – Piu presto

No. 11 in F major

# Adagio – Allegro molto # Scherzo comodo. ' # Adagio # Menuetto: Allegro moderato # Allegro molto

No. 12 in G minor

# Fuga: Grave – Allegro # Andante # Allegro molto

No. 13 ''Symphoniesatz''

Mendelssohn sketched out a 13th string symphony, called ("symphonic movement"). This Grave – Allegro molto is in C minor.

References

External links

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mendelssohn, Felix Lists of symphonies by composer Symphonies for string orchestra String symphonies 1821 compositions 1822 compositions 1823 compositions