Background

Composers of the Year (Radio 3) and The Birth of British Music (BBC Two) is a celebration of the lives of four magnificent composers throughout 2009. The year marks the 350th anniversary of Henry Purcell's birth, the 250th anniversary of G F Handel's death, the 200th anniversary of Joseph Haydn's death and the 200th anniversary of Felix Mendelssohn's birth

Mendelssohn first visited London in 1829, as a precocious 20-year-old. A virtuoso pianist and organist, his music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written when he was still a teenager, had signalled that his was a special talent. As one of the most highly educated figures in classical music, he first came to Britain as part of an educational grand tour. Over the next 18 years, he made 10 further trips to this country, becoming a favourite of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and finding the inspiration to write the Hebrides Overture, the Scottish symphony, and the great oratorio Elijah. Mendelssohn introduced British musicians and their audiences to fresh ideas – revivals of Bach’s great Passions and even how to play under the conductor’s remarkable new tool – the baton. In short, Mendelssohn plugged Britain into the current of European musical thought and in doing so made a lasting impact on our musical life.
 

For more information on BBC Radio 3 Composers of the Year visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/composers/