Witness first-hand the developmental process of one of the most outstanding personalities in the history of music with Dogma Chamber Orchestra's ambitious Mendelssohn Project. In this last instalment of the series, the extremely talented and curious composer has now become a mature artist - at just 14 years of age! With esprit and verve, the 20-strong ensemble led by Mikhail Gurewitsch combines increasing musical demands with youthful freshness to create an impressive feast for the ears.
String Symphonies Nos. 11 - 13 show how the young genius crafted his inspirations into conscious compositional techniques. Moving between intellectual Bachian counterpoint and the graceful Viennese Classical style, he experiments with formal structure, whilst indulging his desire for originality.
Sinfonia XI in F Minor is expanded into five movements around a beautifully dreamlike central Adagio with descending chromatic steps. The introductory first movement features softly muted, flowing arpeggios that oscillate, leading to a dramatic Allegro molto. The Finale is an intricate dispute between a sonata and a fugue, including dissonant and volatile passages.
The unfinished Sinfonia XIII in C Minor foreshadows the dawning Romantic period with its fast-paced double fugue and emotionally intoxicating unison. After these exciting adventures on the path to artistic independence, Mendelssohn then went on to compose his outstanding masterpiece of sound-visual fantasy, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", at just 17 years of age.
