Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) was one of the great composers of the early Romantic period. From his “Midsummer Night’s Dream” to his “Hebrides” Overture, his music is characterized by elegance and lyricism. An accomplished conductor, he notably led the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and championed the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Most remarkably, Mendelssohn accomplished all these feats before his mid-20s. Music critic Charles Rosen in “The Romantic Generation” called him “the greatest child prodigy after Mozart.” By the age of 13, Mendelssohn had already published his first work, a piano quartet. By 15, he'd written his first symphony.
