10 of Felix Mendelssohn’s greatest works

28 March 2025, 15:53

From Mendelssohn’s Elijah to his Scottish Symphony, here are some of the early Romantic composer’s most glorious pieces of music.

Felix Mendelssohn was an early Romantic composer from Germany, born in February 1809. He wrote some of his most successful work as a teen, and from the ‘Scottish’ Symphony to Elijah, his music broke the mould and redefined musical genres. His sister, Fanny, was also a talented composer and several of her earlier songs were published under her brother’s name.

Although he only lived to 38, Mendelssohn left behind a remarkable legacy, blending Classical elegance with Romantic expressiveness. His Italian Symphony radiates warmth and energy, while his Violin Concerto – one of history’s most beloved violin concertos – is renowned for its seamless flow and breathtaking virtuosity and his symphonies paint vivid musical landscapes inspired by his travels.

Beyond orchestral music, Mendelssohn’s contributions to chamber music, choral works, and piano repertoire cement his status as one of the great composers of the 19th century.

Read more: 10 of the best Romantic composers in classical music history

1. String Octet in E flat major

   In 1825, a 16-year-old Felix Mendelssohn composed a piece for four violins, two violas, and two cellos and gave it to his violin teacher, Eduard Rietz, as a gift. This octet set a precedent for a new kind of chamber music, and in the score he left the instructions that: ‘This Octet must be played by all the instruments in symphonic orchestral style. Pianos and fortes must be strictly observed and more strongly emphasised than is usual in pieces of this kind’.

   

   Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) - Octet, Op. 20 - All-Stradivari instrument performance

2. Elijah

   This oratorio was composed in 1846 and was inspired by the works of Baroque composers like Handel and Bach. It actually premiered in the UK, in Birmingham, and tells the biblical story of the prophet Elijah. Although Mendelssohn was greatly influenced by Bach, the colour and warmth of Elijah is emblematic of Mendelssohn’s Romanticism, and is considered one of the greatest oratorios of the 19th century.

   

   Mendelssohn: Elijah, Op. 70, MWV A25 / Part 1: Introduction: "As God the Lord of Israel liveth"

3. A Midsummer Night’s Dream

   Mendelssohn composed music for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at two different points of his life. The Overture was another of his significant teenage composers, writing it at age 17 in 1826. 16 years later, he composed the incidental music, which includes the famous ‘Wedding March’ that has accompanied countless brides down the aisle.

   Read more: Beautiful pieces of classical music for your wedding ceremony

   

   Mendelssohn - Wedding March from "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Op. 61

4. The Hebrides Overture

   The Hebrides Overture was composed after a trip to Oban and Fingal’s Cave on the island of Staffa. Mendelssohn was 20 years old when he visited Scotland, having made his London debut conducting the orchestra of the Philharmonic Society, and this music is inspired by the sea, waves and wind of the Hebrides.

   Read more: 20 greatest pieces of classical music inspired by nature

   

   Mendelssohn: Overture 'The Hebrides' | Sir John Eliot Gardiner

5. Violin Concerto in E minor

   Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, composed between 1838 and 1844, is one of the greatest and most frequently performed violin concertos in history. Written for his friend, violinist Ferdinand David, the concerto was another piece in which Mendelssohn broke new structural ground by immediately introducing the soloist and seamlessly connecting all three movements, that are melodically and harmonically connected, without pauses.

   

   Ray Chen Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64

6. Cello Sonata No.2 in D major

   Mendelssohn’s second cello sonata was written in 1843 and represents his position on the boundary of Classical and Romantic music. He wrote this for his brother, Paul, and although it uses the traditionally Classical four-movement structure, it is a passionate and jubilant piece that ends with a cheery and boisterous final movement.

   

   Mendelssohn Cello Sonata n. 2 in D major op. 58 | Sul Yoon - Queen Elisabeth Competition 2022

7. Piano Trio No.2 in C minor

   Composed towards the end of his life in 1845, Mendelssohn’s second Piano Trio for piano, violin and cello was dedicated to Louis Spohr. At this point, Mendelssohn had retired from orchestral work, as his health was declining, and in his dedication to his friend wrote: ‘I would like to have saved the honour for a somewhat longer piece, but then I should have had to put it off, as I have so often of late. Nothing seemed good enough to me, and in fact neither does this trio.’

   

   Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 2, op. 66 / Lee / Roozeman, Sunwoo

8. Symphony No.4 in A major, ‘Italian’

   Mendelssohn composed five symphonies and his fourth, known as ‘the Italian’, was inspired by his travels through Italy between 1829 and 1831. It is his best known symphony, and the brightness and warmth of the Italian countryside, as well as the grandeur of the ruins of Rome, are expressed throughout this lyrical and vibrant work. As he was composing it, he told his sister Fanny, “It will be the jolliest piece I have ever done.”

   

   Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 4 A major Op. 90 "Italian" (Kurt Masur & Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra)

9. Symphony No.3 in A minor, ‘Scottish’

   Inspired by the mist and greyness of the ruins of Edinburgh’s Holyrood Chapel, Mendelssohn leaned into the gloom and brooding of the Scottish city. He wrote to his family to describe his experience of the castle, saying: “Everything is broken and decayed, and the bright sky shines in. I believe that today I have found the beginning of my ‘Scottish’ Symphony.”

   

   Mendelssohn: 3. Sinfonie (»Schottische«) ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Andrés Orozco-Estrada

10. Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage

    Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage was written in 1828 and revised in 1834, and was inspired by two poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Schubert and Beethoven also wrote music based on these poems for voice, but Mendelssohn set them for orchestra. Inspired by the sea, this overture depicts a journey from a calm and eerie sea to a jubilant and triumphant arrival on land.

    

    "Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage" by Mendelssohn // U-M Symphony Orchestra // Kenneth Kiesler, cond.