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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thematic approach to Mendelssohn's life and music.,
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This review is from: A Portrait of Mendelssohn (Hardcover)
Two hundred years after his birth, Mendelssohn appears to be undergoing a welcome reappraisal. Brown's book is a worthy addition to the many scholarly books and essays on this multi-talented and fascinating man, dispelling many of the myths perpetuated after his tragically early death. What sets this work apart from other biographies is its thematic arrangement of the many aspects of the composer's life and career, including his family, relations with women, religion, philosophy, his career as a conductor, composer, performer, as well as critical reception of the composer's work both during his lifetime and posthumously. A separate chapter discusses Wagner's essay on Judaism in music and its pernicious effect on Mendelssohn's (and Meyerbeer's) musical reputation. Mendelssohn's impressive accomplishments as visual artist are also discussed and some of his sketches and watercolors reproduced, although I would have enjoyed seeing some of them in color.
A deeply spiritual man and an idealist at heart, Mendelssohn believed that art and life should be one and the same. It is therefore a supreme irony that a composer who strove for depth of feeling and honesty in his work has too often been dismissed as superficial. Brown's book provides a welcome corrective to the life and legacy of this often misunderstood genius. |
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A Portrait of Mendelssohn by Clive Brown (Hardcover - May 11, 2003)
$55.00
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