Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/530

 later years as in the earlier. It is a question whether his persistent joyousness of sentiment militates against his artistic greatness. Here he presents a striking contrast to many composers who are thought to embody the spirit of modern life. The absence of morbidness need not be regretted, but, since his art is seldom or never the voice of sorrow, darkness or struggle, it is in so far not a full rescript of life. But he should not be compared with others without remembering that the converse of this is also true.

A fairly complete summary of Mendelssohn's works is as follows:—(a) 4 symphonies, including the 'Reformation' (1830), the 'Italian' (1833), the 'Scotch' (1842), 7 concert-overtures, including the ''Midsummer Night's Dream (1826), the 'Hebrides' (1830-2), the Meeresstille und gluckliche Fahrt'' (1832), a famous violin-concerto (1844) and 2 piano-concertos, besides some other ensemble pieces; (b) 7 quartets, 2 quintets and an octet for strings, 2 trios, 3 quartets and a sextet for piano and strings, and a few violin- and 'cello-sonatas; (c) 3 piano-sonatas, a capriccio, rondo capriccioso, several fantasias, caprices, variations, fugues, 8 books of Lieder ohne Worte (1830-45), characteristic pieces, etc., and several pieces for four hands; (d) 6 organ-sonatas (1844-5), and several preludes and fugues; (e) the comic opera ''Die Hochzeit des Camacho (1825), fragments of Lorelei, the singspiel Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde, 2 Festgesänge, music for Goethe's Die erste Walpurgisnacht (1831-2), Sophokles' Antigone (1841), Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream (1842), Racine's Athalie'' (1843-4), Sophokles' Œdipus at Colonus (1845), with a great number of quartets for male or mixed voices, over 80 songs and some duets; (f) the oratorios St. Paul (1836) and Elijah (1846), portions of Christus, the Lobgesang (1840), 8 Psalms, including the 42d (1837), the 95th (1838), and the 114th (1840), the cantata Lauda Sion (1846), and many motets and anthems, some a cappella. In addition, there are many early works not published in popular form. A standard edition of his works is issued by Breitkopf & Härtel (1874-7).

Of his innumerable letters a large number have been published (from 1861).

Mendelssohn differed widely from Schumann in that he added little to the formal resources of music. For the most part he used patterns and methods already known. The same is true of technique and orchestration. Yet certain styles he handled with such special grace that they became fresh under his hand. Familiar instances are his nimble scherzos, his gay caprices, his elegant piano-songs, some of his oratorio arias and choruses, and the development-sections of his ensemble works. His instinct