Mendelssohn · Felix Mendelssohn
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5 in D minor "Reformation"
Too late for the festival, rejected in Paris, and "No. 5" only after his death
- Key
- D minor
- Composed
- 1830
- Premiere
- 1832 Berlin
- Duration
- about 30 min
- Movements
- 4 movements
- Instrumentation
- Woodwinds 2·2·2·2 (+ contrabassoon and serpent, fourth movement) · Brass 2·2·3·0 · Timpani · Strings
The story behind this piece
Mendelssohn wrote this piece in 1830 for the 300th anniversary festival of the Augsburg Confession of 1530. But he couldn't finish it in time, so it wasn't performed then. When he tried to have it played in Paris in 1832, the orchestra members rejected it after rehearsal, saying it was "too academic and the counterpoint too heavy."
It was finally premiered in Berlin in November 1832 with Mendelssohn conducting, but he soured on the piece and reportedly never played it again. The score wasn't published until 1868, 21 years after his death, so although it was his second symphony, it became "No. 5."
What to listen for
- Introduction to the first movement: you can hear the "Dresden Amen," with the strings quietly rising. This short Amen chord sequence used in German churches returns in the first movement.
- Fourth movement: Luther's hymn "Ein feste Burg" (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God) begins quietly on the flute, and at the end the whole orchestra sings it out grandly to close the piece.
Listen · Score
- Hear the full piece on YouTube · hr-Sinfonieorchester · Andrés Orozco-Estrada
- Free scores on IMSLP (full score and parts)
Credits