- Mendelssohn began work on this symphony in early 1830, and completed it on May 12. Mendelssohn wrote the symphony to mark the 300th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession.
- In this semi-programmatic symphony, Mendelssohn used polyphonic writing evocative of Palestina and a motif called the “Dresden Amen” to represent the Catholic side of the Reformation debate; he used chorale-style writing and a quotation of Martin Luther’s chorale “Ein feste Burg” (A Mighty Fortress) to represent the Protestant or Lutheran side.
- The “Reformation” Symphony premiered in a charity concert on May 12, 1830. A revised version, with an updated ending, premiered in Berlin on November 11, 1832.
- The “Reformation” Symphony was not published until after the composer’s death. Mendelssohn had felt that it was not good enough to merit publication (he’d felt the same way about the “Italian” Symphony, another piece published posthumously).1
Sources
- R. Larry Todd, “Mendelssohn(-Bartholdy), (Jacob Ludwig) Felix,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed September 29, 2021, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000051795.
Cut IDs
13003 20530 41012