Collection Items

  •
    Manuscript/Mixed Material
    [Grabau album] Scrapbook compiled by Fräulein Henriette Grabau, later Frau Bünau, containing (on p. [2] of cover) a watercolor of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, with an excerpt from the opera Ali Baba by Luigi Cherubini in Mendelssohn's hand; holograph copies of Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Worte, op. 85, no. 3, and op. 38, no. 2; autographs of Friedrich Rochlitz, Moritz Hauptmann, Carl Gottlieb Reissiger,…
    • Contributor: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation - Grabau, Henriette
    • Date: 1836

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  • Photo, Print, Drawing
    Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy im 12ten Lebensjahr
    Title on digital file: Mendelssohn at 12 years old     Print shows portrait of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy at the age of 12 years old.
    • Contributor: Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation - Weger, August
    • Date: 185?
  • Photo, Print, Drawing
    Fanny Hensel, geb. Mendelssohn Bartholdy
    Title on digital file: Hensel, Fanny Mendelssohn     Print shows portrait of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, sister of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.
    • Contributor: Mendel, Edward - Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Hensel, Wilhelm - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation
    • Date: 1847
  • Notated Music
    Auszug zu no. 6, Gottes Zeit : clarinetti & fagotti
    Gottes Zeit     Holograph, in ink, consisting of parts by F. Mendelssohn for 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons to be used as additional instrumental parts in J.S. Bach's cantata, BWV 106, Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit. The holograph is accompanied by a printed score of the cantata (30 p. ; 33 cm.) edited by the Bach-Gesellschaft and published: Leipzig : Breitkopf & Härtel (pl. no.: B.W.106).…
    • Contributor: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Bach, Johann Sebastian - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation
    • Date: 183?

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  • Manuscript/Mixed Material
    The alterations in the accompaniments of the Concerto in d. Holograph, in ink. Title from caption. At foot of p. 1: Mendelssohn's handwriting (alterations in his Concerto published by J.A. Novello)--Sabilla Novello. In the Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation Collection of the Library of Congress.
    • Contributor: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation
    • Date: 1837

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  • Book/Printed Material
    The Mendelssohn family : Felix Mendelssohn--Abraham Mendelssohn, his father--Leah Mendelssohn, his mother--Cecile, his wife--Fanny Hensel, his sister Scrapbook, containing printed matter about the family, holograph letters by them or to them, portraits, and holograph music ("Praeludium für ein Orgel, zum 3ten Oktober 1829," by Fanny Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, dated at end Sept. 28, 1829; and 5 measures by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, dated at Birmingham Sept. 25, 1840). The contents date from about 1829 to about 1938. The printed matter is in English (except for…
    • Contributor: Hensel, Fanny Mendelssohn - Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation
    • Date: 1900

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  • Notated Music
    95ter Psalm
    Fünfundneunzigster Psalm | First words of fragment: Lasst uns mit Danken     Holograph fragment from an early version of the 2nd movement, in ink, signed. The 54 measures of the ms. correspond to measures 57-106 of the final version. For chorus and orchestra. Title from p. [4]. In the Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation Collection of the Library of Congress.
    • Contributor: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation
    • Date: 1838
  • Notated Music
    Tutto è silenzio
    First words of aria: Dei clementi     Holograph, in ink. Recitative and aria for voice and orchestra; all after p. [4] wanting. Title from first words of text. At top of p. [1]: Berlin am 23sten Febr. 1829. Für Mad. A. Milder componirt und derselben in Erfurcht zugeeignet von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Accompanied by the complete text in ms. (not holograph). In the Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation Collection of the Library…
    • Contributor: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation
    • Date: 1829

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  • Manuscript/Mixed Material
    Autograph letter from Felix MB, to Ed. Devrient, Holograph. Title devised by cataloger. In German. In ink. Signed: Felix MB. Includes address. This letter is headed by a drawing by Mendelssohn (Koehler vnd Gerst Fec) in larger than that given in Devrient's Book. In the Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation Collection of the Library of Congress. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix. Sämtliche Briefe, Band 2, pages 567-568
    • Contributor: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Devrient, Eduard - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation
    • Date: 1832

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  • Photo, Print, Drawing
    Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Lithograph by August Dircks, based on a painting of Felix Mendelssohn Bartoldy by Theodor Hildebrandt from 1834. Source painting located at the Mendelssohn Haus, Leipzig (SGM inventory number XIX/9). In the Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation Collection of the Library of Congress.
    • Contributor: Dircks, August - Hildebrandt, Theodor - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation
    • Date: 1834
  • Notated Music
    Sinfonia Holograph, in ink. Arr. for piano 4 hands. Composer's letter concerning the work, written in English to Johann Baptist Cramer ([4] p. ; 19 cm.) mounted on flyleaf. Holograph part (in score format) for optional violin and violoncello bound in. In the Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation Collection of the Library of Congress.
    • Contributor: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation
    • Date: 1829

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  • Notated Music
    Ottetto Holograph, in ink. At end: Berlin, d. 15 Oct. 1825. Published: Leipzig : Breitkopf & Härtel, ca. 1845. In the Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation Collection of the Library of Congress.
    • Contributor: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation
    • Date: 1825

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  • Notated Music
    Der Blumenstrauss Holograph, in ink, signed on p. [2]. At end: London, May 1832. In the Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation Collection of the Library of Congress.
    • Contributor: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix - Library of Congress. Gertrude Clarke Whittall Foundation - Klingemann, Karl
    • Date: 1832

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  • Manuscript/Mixed Material
    Album of autographs, sketches, photographs, etc., etc. collected during his lifetime by Leo P. Wheat, pianist and composer (late of Berryville, Virginia) and given by him to his friend Edward H. Droop …
    • Contributor: Wheat, Leo P. - Droop, Edward H.
    • Date: 18??
  • Biography
    Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847) [Hensel, Fanny Mendelssohn] [n.d.] Performing Arts Reading Room, Library of Congress. Drawn together by their shared love of music and exceptional talents, Felix Mendelssohn and his older sister Fanny (1805-1847) developed a close relationship that was to endure throughout their lives. While Fanny’s gender prohibited her from enjoying the same social opportunities or support in … Continue reading Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847) →
    • Date: 1805
  • Biography
    Cécile (Jeanrenaud) Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1817-1853) Cécile Mendelssohn-Bartholdy née Jeanrenaud / painting by E Magnus. En route to Düsseldorf to conduct the Niederrheinisches Musikfest (Lower Rhine Music Festival) in late May 1836, Mendelssohn stopped in Frankfurt am Main in order to pay a visit to friends and family there. It was during this visit that he was introduced to the prosperous … Continue reading Cécile (Jeanrenaud) Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1817-1853) →
    • Date: 1817
  • Biography
    Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) Mendelssohn, engraved portrait / Th. Hildebrandt and A. Dircks, artists. Performing Arts Reading Room, Library of Congress. Felix Mendelssohn, born in Hamburg, Germany on February 3, 1809, lived through an era of significant transition for both German society and for Western music. From a social perspective, the question of extending equal rights to German Jews … Continue reading Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) →
    • Date: 1809
  • Collection
    Felix Mendelssohn at the Library of Congress Made available here are digital images of selected resources on this composer. This collection was created to mark the bicentennial of the birth of composer Felix Mendelssohn on February 3, 2009. The Library of Congress’s Music Division is one of the world’s major repositories of primary source material related to the composer.
    • Date: 1820

    Collection Items: View 32 Items

  • Web Page
    Related Resources A staggering number of concerts of Felix Mendelssohn’s works are being planned throughout the world to commemorate the two-hundredth anniversary of his birth. While most of these occurred in January and February 2009 (the composer’s birthday was on February 3rd), concerts, as well as lectures and exhibitions related to Mendelssohn will nevertheless take place throughout the year. These events may be identified by means…
  • Web Page
    Rights and Access The Library of Congress is providing access to these materials for educational and research purposes and makes no warranty with regard to their use for other purposes. The written permission of the copyright owners and/or other rights holders (such as holders of publicity and/or privacy rights) is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use or…
  • Article
    Articles and Essays Articles related to Mendelssohn's work, biographies, additional topics and research resources.
    • Date: 1820
  • Article
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  • Article
    Felix Mendelssohn and Jewish Identity Cover of If with all your hearts by Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (Boston: E. H. Wade, [n.d.]). Performing Arts Reading Room, Library of Congress. Felix Mendelssohn was born into a family of means and privilege. His intellect and aptitude for music were apparent at an early age; by the age of fourteen he had already demonstrated an astonishing facility for musical composition, composing over one hundred works,…
  • Article
    Felix Mendelssohn and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Detail from Gewandhaus in Leipzig [interior view]. Performing Arts Reading Room, Library of Congress. By late 1834, at the age of twenty-six, Mendelssohn had risen to the top of his profession, gaining the respect of his peers throughout Europe as the consummate professional musician: a leading conductor, brilliant performer and teacher, a composer of major status, and musico-historical scholar. In that year alone he…
  • Article
    Felix Mendelssohn: Art Works Drawing from Felix Mendelssohn's travels to Italy (n.d.) from The Moldenhauer Archives - The Rosaleen Moldenhauer Memorial. Performing Arts Reading Room, Library of Congress. The development of Mendelssohn's musical and compositional skills parallels that of another aspect of his creativity: his skills in drawing and painting, which, like music, became a means of expression on which he relied throughout his life.