Felix Mendelssohn

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy was born 3 February 1809, grandson of the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, raised without religion until baptism at seven into the Reformed Christian church. Recognised early as a prodigy, he was held back from exploitation by cautious parents; his sister Fanny, equally gifted, saw some of her own songs published under his name. He hit his stride in Germany and in 1829 revived Bach's St Matthew Passion, pulling forgotten repertoire back into the light. Ten visits to Britain anchored his adult career - premieres, conducting, performance - while his conservative tastes set him against the radical currents of Liszt and Wagner. He founded the Leipzig Conservatory as a fortress for that old guard. After decades of denigration fed by shifting fashion and antisemitism, his stock has climbed back; the String Octet, the Violin Concerto, the Italian and Scottish Symphonies, the oratorios St. Paul and Elijah, and the Hebrides Overture now place him among the Romantic era's most performed composers. He died 4 November 1847.