To commemorate Felix Mendelssohn’s extraordinary life and artistic achievements on the two-hundredth anniversary of his birth, Music@Menlo’s 2009 festival presented the composer’s greatest chamber works, including his seminal string quartet cycle, the two magnificent piano trios, and the immortal Octet (composed when Mendelssohn was only sixteen years old), among other works—acknowledged masterpieces and rediscovered gems alike. By presenting Mendelssohn’s music alongside works by his predecessors, contemporaries, and artisti heirs, Being Mendelssohn illuminated the composer’s deeply personal and richly nuanced art from multiple perspectives.
