<<  -- 5 --  Jennifer Paull    THE BONSAI SEQUOIA

Impressionism too, became more and more an ingredient of musical Romanticism. Mendelssohn felt Scotland was a wellspring of Romance, and with the Scottish Symphony and the Hebrides Overture, he inspired a cult for Scotland, and things Caledonian. He dedicated this symphony to Queen Victoria, and set a mode for tourism, which continued from Germany to Scotland well into the twentieth century.

Felix was offered the conductorship of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and settled there in 1835. This was the city of his beloved Bach. Leipzig's society was brilliantly sparkling, musical standards were extraordinarily high, and Chopin, Schumann (with whom he worked closely), and many others were his regular visitors. It isn't surprising that he said 'When I first came to Leipzig, I thought I was in Paradise'.

He married Cécile Jeanrenaud in 1837, and his following years, although he lost his father, were very happy. Leipzig loved him and appreciated his work. He founded the Leipzig Conservatory in 1843, just three years before the onset of declining health.

Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's Prince Consort was German by birth. He came to hear the Scottish Symphony performed by the Philharmonic Society in London. Its success was tremendous and Felix was honoured twice with invitations to Buckingham Palace.

Mendelssohn played for the Queen, and she sang to him. He was even allowed to carry out her parrot, which it appears, was doing its best to drown the musical proceedings. The Queen confided in him that her choice of song had been one of her favourites from his pen. Mendelssohn did have the grace to admit that it was his sister who had composed it. Prince Albert presented him with a ring (not for his sister). Celebrity and indeed the world were at Mendelssohn's feet.

Visiting England in the spring of 1844, everybody continued to idolise him. His musical capacities were at their zenith. In September Mendelssohn completed the Violin Concerto for Ferdinand David, his concertmaster from the Gewandhaus Orchestra. This is unquestionably one of his finest works. The secret garden had truly overgrown any vestiges of haha walls dug in the past, leaving them overflowingly buried beneath verdant foliage.

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