J... M : My own tribute to a dead musician.

The press has been a-buzz with stories of a musician who somehow impacted the world enough to justify his story overshadowing things like North Korea launching missiles and supreme court justice selection. Blog entries have been written, facebook status' have been declarative, and I have hesitated to say anything because frankly, anything I could come up with to say about the current event would be insesitive. Perhaps now enough time has passed, the event is no longer current, I have properly mourned and will move forward appropriately honoring a musician who impacted me.

He was born into a family of musicians, and considered a child prodigy. His siblings were all proficient as well, and the family moved around a bit in order to accomodate their musical lifestyle. They were wealthy, not like many tortured and struggling musicians, and saw success early on as musicians in spite of living in a society that was rampant with racism against them. He was instrumental (excuse the pun, it is most reverently intended) in helping his sister to become a legitimate artist as well, even publishing her works in his name since women were not considered legitimate composers in the 1800s

And while he has been dead for 112 years, he was born 200 years ago February, yet no one seems to be celebrating him the way we have celebrated other musicians that impact our lives. Beethoven got all sorts of parties and concerts. Mozart got a movie. I've even heard a few "Elegies to Elgar" (musician joke, couldn't resist, but trust me, its funny.)

Of course, most people are only aware of his first given name, Felix, but Mendelssohn changed his name to Jakob Ludvig Bartholdy when his family converted from Judaism to Christianity. He still signed everything as Mendessohn though. I have always wondered, in fact about that proclaimed conversion, since he refused to publish with the name his father chose as their family's Christian name, and his famous Oratorio is centered around a prophet much more revered by Judaism than Christianity. Some scholars claim that the conversion was merely a publicity stunt, in order to garner more support from an anti-semitic society, but I believe his conversion was honest, he simply recognized the significance of his own heritage within that conversion. I really want to ask him about all that someday.

So here's my tribute to a great musician, the king of the song form, the genius behind the most moving violin concerto ever written, the mind behind the wedding march, and the musician who speaks most to my heart. Jakob Ludvig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, there aren't that many musicians that inspire me to learn a new instrument and spend hours practicing just for the sake of spending more time with them and the things of their heart. Your songs gave me a reason to learn the piano, and I am better for it. I love you man.