Hebrew College Blog

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847), who was born in Hamburg, Germany. His grandfather, Moses Mendelssohn, was an important rabbi, considered to be the founder of Haskallah, the Jewish enlightenment movement that ushered in the modern era, in which Jews enjoyed European culture in addition to their own heritage. Felix's father, Abraham Mendelssohn, became a successful banker in Hamburg and Berlin, and, in his eagerness to remove all impediments to his children's success, had them baptized as Christians in 1816.

Felix was a musical prodigy, composing and performing in public even before his teenage years. But Abraham's hope was never completely fulfilled; his son Felix was always regarded as a Jew by his colleagues. Felix was denied appointment as head of the Berlin Singakademie on the basis that an organization dedicated to the singing of church music "could hardly be presided over by a Jew, even a converted one." The composer Carl Friedrich Zelter said about his pupil, "He is, to be sure, a Jewboy but no Jew. It would really be something rare if a Jewboy were to become a true artist." And the great opera composer Richard Wagner, while acknowledging Mendelssohn's talent, wrote that his music betrayed Jewish traits of "wishy-washiness" and pandering to mere "amusement."

Despite the anti-Semitism, Felix Mendelssohn was regarded as one of the great German composers of the early 19th century. He was active in the revival of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and served as music director of the prestigious Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Today he is perhaps best known for his compositions, including the Midsummernight's Dream incidental music, whose wedding march is a staple of matrimonial ceremonies. One of the last works from the composer's pen was the oratorio Elijah, based on the life of the Hebrew prophet, commissioned by the Birmingham (England) Choral Festival.

The Zamir Chorale of Boston will be performing excerpts from Elijah on May 17, 7:30 p.m., as part of the Jewish Choral Festival at Northeastern's Fenway Center. You can hear all four of Hebrew College's resident choirs at the concert: Zamir; Koleinu, our Jewish community choir; Shir Tzion, our cantorial student choir; and Prozdor's Kol Rinah Jewish high school student choir. We hope you'll join us for an exceptional evening of classical and contemporary Jewish choral music.

—Joshua Jacobson

Joshua Jacobson is Founding Director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, Artists-in-Residence at Hebrew College, and Visiting Professor of Jewish Music.