Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549585 Composed by Edvard Grieg. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Concert,Instructional,Romantic Period,Standards,World. Score and part. 18 pages. Jmsgu3 #3511273. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549585). Duration: ca. 2:17 Score: 10 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 5 pages. A proven audience pleaser - perfect for a recital encore! Grieg Background In the first place, Edvard Grieg (1843 –1907) was a Norwegian composer as well as a concert pianist. As a matter of fact, most music historians consider him one of the foremost Romantic era composers. Consequently, his music is part of the international standard classical repertoire. Grieg moreover used Norwegian folk music in his own compositions.  Consequently, he ushered Norwegian music to transnational consciousness. Furthermore, he forged a national musical identity for Norway. It is important to realize that he did this in a manner similar to Jean Sibelius in Finland, and BedÅ™ich Smetana in Bohemia. Legacy Grieg is especially celebrated in the city of Bergen. For example, the city has erected numerous statues depicting Grieg. Specifically, the city has named a concert hall (Grieg Hall), a music school (Grieg Academy) and a professional choir (Edvard Grieg Kor) after him. As a matter of fact, there is also a museum located at his former home in Troldhaugen. Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 (Op. 46) Grieg wrote incidental music for the purpose of illustrating a play by Ibsen known as Peer Gynt. The play includes, in particular, the famous selection entitled, In the Hall of the Mountain King. In this composition, Grieg indeed depicts the exploits of the scoundrel, Peer Gynt. In one famous episode, for example, Peer steals a bride at her wedding. For this reason, the people chase him, but soon Peer falls, thereupon striking his skull on a boulder. He wakens forthwith in a highland bounded by angry gnomes. Consequently, the music of In the Hall of the Mountain King represents the mad gnomes taunting Peer. Therefore, each time the theme repeats it gets louder and faster. In the end, Peer surprisingly escapes from the mountain. Holberg Suite and Misc. Summary It must be remembered that Grieg originally wrote his Holberg Suite for the piano. In other words, he only later arranged it for strings. Further, Grieg composed by and large many songs with lyrics by famous writers such as Heine, Goethe, Ibsen, Hans Christian Andersen, Rudyard Kipling, and others. On balance, Norwegian pianist Eva Knardahl recorded altogether Grieg’s whole piano catalog on LP in 1980. These recordings were released again on CD in 2006. In any event, Grieg himself performed and recorded the bulk of these pieces toward the end of his life.  Register for free lifetime revisions and updates at www.jamesguthrie.com

Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1113161 Composed by Scott Joplin. Arranged by David McKeown. 20th Century,Jazz,Ragtime. Score and part. 7 pages. David McKeown #715119. Published by David McKeown (A0.1113161). Probably the best known of Scott Joplin’s piano rags, The Entertainer was written in 1902. It was included on Joshua Rifkin’s famous 1970 revival recording of Joplin’s music and an orchestration featured on the soundtrack of the movie The Sting in 1973. This arrangement won an Oscar and reached No.3 on the US single charts. This version for Bass Clarinet with Piano accompaniment has been arranged to best suit the key and pitch of the solo instrument and includes all four sections of the original composition. The pdf file contains both the piano accompaniment and the separate solo part. The linked full-length youtube performance is the Clarinet version of this arrangement. Musicians at an intermediate level and above will find this ideal for formal and informal performances. The overall performance time is around five minutes. Teachers will enjoy using this arrangement as a fun way to help with phrasing, syncopated rhythms and light articulation. There are many more top quality arrangements and compositions by David McKeown for you to browse at http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/publishers/david-mckeown/6203

Small Ensemble Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.593108 Composed by Traditional. Arranged by David McKeown. Praise & Worship,Sacred,Spiritual. Score and part. 4 pages. David McKeown #6416325. Published by David McKeown (A0.593108). O When the Saints is a beautiful spiritual arranged here for Solo Bass Clarinet and Piano.The origins of O When the Saints are unclear, though it was first recorded in 1923. A later instrumental recording by Louis Armstrong affirmed the song’s status as a jazz standard and created an ongoing association with the city of New Orleans. When the Saints Go Marching In was later performed by artists as diverse as Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby and Chuck Berry.

Small Ensemble Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.592760 Composed by Traditional. Arranged by David McKeown. Praise & Worship,Sacred,Spiritual. Score and part. 3 pages. David McKeown #6412413. Published by David McKeown (A0.592760). Go Tell It on The Mountain is a beautiful gospel song arranged here for Solo Bass Clarinet and Piano.Go Tell It on The Mountain is most often considered a Christmas Carol with the original lyrics,Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; Go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.Nothing is known of its origins, but it first appeared in print in an 1865 collection of Spirituals. More recently, the lyrics have been adapted to support the struggle for human rights, most famously by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1963.

Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549107 Composed by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 – 1921). Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Instructional,Romantic Period,Standards. Score and part. 9 pages. Jmsgu3 #3452239. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549107). BASS CLARINET & PIANO Saint-Saens: The Swan (Le Cygne) movement 13 from the Carnival of the Animals Suite. Duration: 2:50 Score: 5 pg, 28 ms. Solo part: 1 pg. Piano part: 3 pg. Performance: Level: Early intermediate and up. One of his most popular and widely recognized works, it is the only movement from the Carnival Suite that Saint-Saens permitted to be performed in public during his lifetime. This is an excellent recital encore choice to demonstrate melodic playing and strategic phrasing.

Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549231 Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Baroque,Easter,Standards,Wedding. Score and part. 9 pages. Jmsgu3 #3468714. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549231). J. S. Bach BWV 508.  Bist du bei mir Bach adapted this aria from a lost Stölzel opera called Diomedes. He changed the original orchestral instrumentation to soprano, strings, and continuo.  He also modified the voice-leading making it sound more like a Bach composition. The work appears as BWV 508 No. 25 in the Anna Magdalena Notebook No. 2.   Source Only a few remnants of the original opera have survived. Historians speculate that Anna Magdalena got the song from the Leipzig Opera after the bankruptcy of 1720. Chances are good, though, that the tune was a favorite of everyone in Leipzig at the time.   Lyrics When thou art near, I go with joyTo death and to my rest.O how joyous would my end be,If your fair hands            Would close my faithful eyes. - Unknown Bach Overview First of all, Johann Sebastian Bach is maybe the greatest composer in music history. Certainly, he was prolific. As a result, everyone has heard of his works. Furthermore, these works number well over a thousand. It seems like people are probably most familiar with the instrumental works such as the Brandenburg Concertos, and the Goldberg Variations. But, similarly famous are such noteworthy works as the Well-Tempered Clavier, the Musical Offering, and certainly the Art of Fugue. Seems like his most famous vocal works include the most noteworthy Mass in B Minor. Also, most noteworthy, though, are the St. John Passion, and certainly the Christmas Oratorio.  History Bach came from a long line of musicians and above all, composers. Consequently, he, first of all, pursued a career as a church organist. So as a result, he gained employment in various Protestant churches in Germany. For a while, he worked as a court musician in Weimar and Köthen. Here he probably developed his organ style and likewise his chamber music style. Eventually, he, therefore, gained an appointment as Cantor of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Here he worked until difficulties with his employer ultimately drove him away. The King of Poland finally appointed him as court composer.  Style It seems like Bach created a fascinating new international style. He synthesized elements of the most noteworthy European music ideas into his new style. Even more, this new style was probably his synthesis of European musical rhythm and form. Furthermore, he demonstrated a complete mastery of counterpoint and motivic development. His sense of harmonic organization probably propelled him to the top. Revival                Mendelssohn conducted a Bach revival in the nineteenth century. His effort probably helped to re-familiarize the public with the magnitude of Bach’s works. During this period, scholars published many noteworthy Bach biographies. Moreover, Wolfgang Schmieder published the BWV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis). As a result, this is now the official catalog of his entire artistic output. The BWV number allows us to locate a work in the catalog. Sometimes scholars will simply use an S (Schmieder) as an abbreviation for BWV.  Voyager NASA launched two Voyager spacecraft in 1977. Onboard are phonograph records with sounds, music, and images of life on Earth. The purpose of the launch was to inform intelligent extraterrestrial life forms about conditions on Earth. The music on the disc is varied. There is Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Stravinsky among others. However, because Bach is so important in our music history, it contains three times more Bach than all the others combined.

Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.550920 Composed by J. S. Bach - Gounod. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Christmas,Easter,Standards. Score and part. 12 pages. Jmsgu3 #4888299. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.550920). This arrangement features the controversial Schwencke measure (ms. 27) that was originally introduced in 1783 by Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke. The convenient 1st & 2nd endings provide an option for extended performance. Duration with repeat - 4:50. Score: 7 pages. Solo part: 1 page, piano part: 4 pages. Based on Prelude #1 in C Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1. Well suited for church meditations or school programs or recital encores.  Ave Maria Ave Maria is a Catholic prayer that consequently asks for the mother of Jesus (Mary) to intercede. Charles Gounod composed a famous version of the Ave Maria. He was a French Romantic composer who overlaid a new melody on an existing Bach chord progression. The progression is from Bach’s Prelude No. 1 from Well-Tempered Clavier I. This version, as well as Schubert’s version, have become essential items at weddings, masses, and funerals. Bach Overview First of all, Johann Sebastian Bach is maybe the greatest composer in music history. Certainly, he was prolific. As a result, everyone has heard of his works. Furthermore, these works number well over a thousand. It seems like people are probably most familiar with instrumental works such as the Brandenburg Concertos, and the Goldberg Variations. But, similarly famous are such noteworthy works as the Well-Tempered Clavier, the Musical Offering, and the Art of Fugue. Seems like his most famous vocal works include the most noteworthy Mass in B Minor. Also, most noteworthy, though, are the St. John Passion, and certainly the Christmas Oratorio.  History Bach came from a long line of musicians and above all, composers. Consequently, he, first of all, pursued a career as a church organist. So as a result, he gained employment in various Protestant churches in Germany. For a while, he worked as a court musician in Weimar and Köthen. Here he probably developed his organ style and likewise his chamber music style. Eventually, he, therefore, gained an appointment as Cantor of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Here he worked until difficulties with his employer ultimately drove him away. The King of Poland finally appointed him as a court composer.  Style It seems like Bach created an engaging new international style. He synthesized elements of the most noteworthy European music ideas into his new style. Even more, this new style was probably his synthesis of European musical rhythm and form. Furthermore, he demonstrated a complete mastery of counterpoint and motivic development. His sense of harmonic organization probably propelled him to the top. Revival               Mendelssohn conducted a Bach revival in the nineteenth century. His effort probably helped to re-familiarize the public with the magnitude of Bach’s works. During this period, scholars published many noteworthy Bach biographies. Moreover, Wolfgang Schmieder published the BWV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis). As a result, this is now the official catalog of his entire artistic output. The BWV number allows us to locate a work in the catalog. Sometimes scholars will simply use an S (Schmieder) as an abbreviation for BWV.  Voyager NASA launched two Voyager spacecraft in 1977. Onboard are phonograph records with sounds, music, and images of life on Earth. The purpose of the launch was to inform intelligent extraterrestrial life forms about conditions on Earth. The music on the disc is varied. There is Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Stravinsky among others. However, because Bach is so important in our music history, it contains three times more Bach than all the others combined.

Bass Clarinet & Piano - Intermediate - Digital Download Composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Romantic Period, Repertoire, Technique Training, Recital. Score, Set of Parts. 16 pages. Published by jmsgu3

Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549934 Composed by Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839 - 1881). Arranged by James M. Guthrie. Easter,Instructional,Romantic Period,Standards. Score and part. 90 pages. Jmsgu3 #4303885. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549934). A classic selection of epic proportions. Score: 75 pages, Solo part: 16 pages, 924 measures. Duration: 34:30 Pictures at an Exhibition (Картинки � вы�тавки) by Modest Petrovi� Musorgskij, 1874 (Моде�т Петрович Му�орг�кий) Promenade 1  Allegro giusto, nel modo russico; senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto    page 1 1. GNOMUS (The Gnome)  Sempre vivo page 4 Promenade 2  Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza page 10  2. IL VECCHIO CASTELLO (The Old Castle) Andante molto cantabile e con dolore page 12  Promenade 3 Moderato non tanto, pesamente page 18  3. TUILLERIES Dispute d'enfants après jeux (Children's Quarrel after Games) Allegretto non troppo, capriccioso page 19                                                                              4. BYDLO (Cattle) Sempre moderato pesante  page 22 Promenade 4 Tranquillo page 26 5. Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks Балет невылупивших�� птенцов Scherzino  page 27 6. Samuel Goldenberg und Schmuÿle  Еврей в меховой шапке. Cандомир  Andante page 30 Promenade 5  Allegro giusto, nel modo russico, poco sostenuto page 36 7. LIMOGES. LE MARCHÉ. (La grande nouvelle) The Market (The Great News) Allegretto vivo, sempre scherzando   page 39 8. CATACOMBAE (Sepulchrum romanum) (Roman Tomb) Париж�кие катакомбы  Largo page 46    CON MORTUIS IN LINGUA MORTUA (With the Dead in a Dead Language) Andante non troppo, con lamento page 47 9. The Hut on Hen's Legs (Baba Yaga) Избушка Бабы-Яги на курьих ожках. Ча�ы в ру��ком �тиле Allegro con brio, feroce page 50 10. The Bogatyr Gates (In the Capital in Kiev) Проект город�ких ворот в Киеве. Главный фа�ад The Great Gates of Kiev Allegro alla breve Maestoso con grandezza page 63Mussorgsky is known for his ability to evoke vivid pictures through his music. He creates soundscapes that transport listeners to other places and times. Through the use of complex harmonies and shifting tonalities, Mussorgsky creates sonic paintings that are as diverse and varied as any works of art in a museum. He takes listeners on a journey through different landscapes and environments, ranging from pastoral settings to the depths of the underworld. In his famous suite, Pictures at an Exhibition, Mussorgsky gives each movement a title that references a painting, sculpture, or architectural feature from an art museum. The suite is composed in such a way that it captures the moods and emotions evoked by the artworks. From the bright and energetic Promenade to the somber and mysterious Catacombs, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition paints a vivid sonic landscape that brings the listener into the art museum.

Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549759 Composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Children,Christmas,Romantic Period,Standards. Score and part. 17 pages. Jmsgu3 #3533261. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549759). Duration: ca. 3:15 Score: 10 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 4 pages. Tchaikovsky paints a very mysterious mood in this favorite masterpiece from the Nutcracker Suite. It is also a traditional Christmas favorite. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Tchaikovsky is probably the most popular of the great composers in America. His music certainly appeals to musicians. Likewise, it appeals even to folks who don’t normally listen to serious music. This is probably because of his most noteworthy melodies. Above all, he writes with great emotion. This certainly makes a most noteworthy if not an unforgettable impact. Education First of all, He attended classes at the Russian Musical Society. Even more, He also attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory. There he studied music theory with Nikolai Zaremba. He also consequently studied composition with Anton Rubenstein. It seems like Rubenstein came under criticism from a group of Russian composers known as the Five. The Five The Five certainly rejected Western musical influences. They rather sought to use elements from Russian music. They furthermore wanted to use more exotic musical materials. Western Techniques More than other Russian composers, Tchaikovsky studied modern Western music. He certainly develops his music like the European masters. So, rather than repeating a motive, he moves to a new key. He then introduces a different theme in the new key. Hence, he maintained his independence from the Five. Even more, he became the first Russian composer of international stature. Influences Tchaikovsky was probably influenced in his ballet scoring by Léo Delibes. Richard Wagner influenced his symphonic writing. Tchaikovsky’s most famous works include the 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker Suite, and Swan Lake. Also famous are the Violin Concerto in D and the six symphonies. The greatest of the six symphonies may be No. 6, the Pathétique. Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a The Nutcracker Suite is a ballet that was performed for the first time in December 1892 in St. Petersburg. To begin with, the original ballet failed to attract a positive reception. However, the ballet suite became probably one of the most popular of all of Tchaikovsky’s works. The ballet suite became even more famous in the 1960s. It is now performed all over the world, particularly during the Christmas season.

Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549476 Composed by Alexander Scriabin. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Concert,Instructional,Romantic Period,Sacred,Standards. Score and part. 12 pages. Jmsgu3 #3499849. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549476). Alexander Scriabin Op. 11 No. 2. Score: 8 pages, solo part: 2 pages, piano part: 2 pages. Duration: 3:10. An introspective and meditative work with a lot of dynamic and phrasing nuance. Works well for church meditations or recital encores. Background Op.11/2 Alto Clarinet version. First of all, Scriabin composed mostly for the solo piano and also the orchestra. This is probably because he was a gifted pianist and therefore certainly appreciated the piano. Scriabin grew up in the late Romantic period, consequently, he was fond of the great piano masters of the time. As a result, he wrote his first noteworthy compositions in the manner of Chopin and Liszt. Forms Likewise, Scriabin used many of the same forms as Chopin. These certainly include the étude, prelude, nocturne, and even the mazurka. In contrast, as he developed his own sense of style his music became more and more unusual. So, the last five of his Piano Sonatas do not have a key signature and therefore lean towards atonality. Philosophy Scriabin also developed a keen interest in philosophy and likewise poetry. He was above all particularly fascinated by Nietzsche, Delville, and Blavatsky. Consequently, he finally established his own ideas about metaphysics and certainly mysticism. Scriabin consequently advanced theories about the relationship between color and musical keys. Synesthesia He also may have experienced a condition called synesthesia where he could probably sense a response created from a different stimulus. Therefore, it was almost as if he could see music and hear colors. Scriabin, therefore, arranged the colors in a circle similar to the circle-of-fifths and assigned each key area a color. Finally, he assigned the key of C to the color red, while the key of G was orange. Similarly, he assigned D to yellow, A to green, and so forth. Strangely, he did not differentiate between major and minor key colors.  Multimedia Hence, his ability to translate colors into music certainly gave Scriabin a most noteworthy interest in creating multimedia events. Furthermore, He designed his biggest work, the Mysterium, to last an entire week. Even more, Scriabin made plans not only for music, but also colored lights, incense, and dancing. He designed the performance to occur in the foothills of the Himalaya mountains. The Mysterium was never performed, and only sketches of the work remain. Modern Performances In modern times, we often experience performances of Scriabin’s most famous completed works accompanied by colored laser lights and incense. These are the Poem of Ecstasy (completed in 1908) and the Poem of Fire (completed in 1910). The lighting effects for these early performances were accomplished by the clavier à lumiéres. It was a keyboard instrument that projected colored light onto a screen.

Composed by Traditional. Arranged by Lawrence H. Underwood. Christian, Christmas, Jazz, Sacred, Spiritual. Score and individual part. 8 pages. Lawrence H Underwood #6189087. Published by Lawrence H Underwood

Bass Clarinet & Piano - Grade 3 - Digital Download SKU: R0.38677 Arranged by Jirka Kadlec and Ted Parson. Bass Clarinet & Piano. Score and parts. 7 pages. Duration 3'05. Editions Marc Reift - Digital #38677. Published by Editions Marc Reift - Digital (R0.38677).

Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549380 Composed by George Frideric Handel. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Baroque,Sacred,Standards,Wedding. Score and part. 9 pages. Jmsgu3 #3492257. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549380). Duration: 4:55, Score: 6 pages, Solo part: 1 page, piano part: 2 pages. A very famous aria (Ombra mai fu) from XerxesSuitable for any venue requiring meditative music. Excellent choice for a recital encore. Xerxes Xerxes is, in fact, an opera seria in three acts by Handel. Moreover, Handel conducted the premiere performance in London in 1738. Handel casts the opera in Persia in 470 BC. The part of Xerxes was indeed originally sung by a soprano castrato. Nowadays, the part is generally sung by a mezzo-soprano or conversely a counter-tenor. In the first place, Xerxes sings an opening aria, Ombra mai fu to a plane tree. Handel sets this aria to one of his most truly famous melodies. Although many refer to it traditionally as Handel’s Largo, Handel has, on the contrary, clearly marked Larghetto in the score. Handel Background George Frideric Handel (1685 - 1759) was born in Germany but eventually became a British citizen. Nonetheless, he was a famous Baroque composer. In fact, he became famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. Handel studied music and, by and large, worked as a composer in Germany and Italy before moving to London. On the whole, Handel was very familiar with the contemporary music of Italy and Germany. Career in England It is essential to realize that Italian opera was all the rage in England at the time. Moreover, Handel was really good at writing them. Therefore, he started not one but three opera companies in England. Alexander's Feast was a huge success in 1736, but Handel began composing English choral works. After success with the Messiah in 1742) he certainly never again wrote an Italian opera. Consequently, he died in 1759, a treasured genius. Accordingly, the English government gave him full state honors at his funeral. Hence, he is buried in Westminster Abbey in London. Legacy Music historians agree that Handel was in general one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era.  To demonstrate, his works such as the Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks remain consistently popular up to the present time. He especially composed the coronation anthem, Zadok the Priest for the coronation of George II. Nevertheless, it has specifically been performed at every succeeding British coronation since. His oratorio Solomon has by all means also continued to be prevalent. As a matter of fact, Sinfonia from act 3 was featured in the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony. Handel was particularly prolific. To enumerate, he wrote over forty operas.  Since the late 1960s, we have expressly experienced a revival of baroque music. Similarly, we have especially seen a pique of interest in historically informed musical performances. Since his death in 1779, interest in Handel's music has all in all, expanded.  

Bass Clarinet,Piano - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.549498 Composed by Felix Bartholdy Mendelssohn. Arranged by James M. Guthrie, ASCAP. Instructional,Romantic Period,Sacred,Standards. Score and part. 20 pages. Jmsgu3 #3501033. Published by jmsgu3 (A0.549498). BASS CLARINET & PIANO - Score: 11 pages, solo part: 3 pages, piano part: 5 pages. Duration: 4:20. This is a popular recital piece that would work well also in church or school programs. Mendelssohn Background Felix Mendelssohn (1809 –1847) was, by all means, a German mastermind composer, musician, and orchestra conductor of the Romantic period. Consequently, Mendelssohn composed in the usual forms of the time - symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano music, and chamber music. To summarize, his most famous works include his music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, The Hebrides Overture, his later Concerto for Violin & Orchestra, and his Octet for Strings. His most well-known piano pieces, by and large, are the Songs Without Words.  Artistic Standing  Musical tastes change from time to time. Moreover, just such a change occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This plus rampant antisemitism brought a corresponding amount of undue criticism. Fortunately, however, his artistic inventiveness has indeed been critically re-evaluated. As a result, Mendelssohn is once again among the most prevalent composers of the Romantic era. Early Family Life Mendelssohn was, in fact, born into a prominent Jewish family. His grandfather was, notably, the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. Felix was, in fact, raised without religion. At the age of seven, he was suddenly baptized as a Reformed Christian. He was, moreover, a child musical prodigy. Nevertheless, his parents did not attempt to exploit his talent. Early Adulthood Mendelssohn was, in general, successful in Germany. He conducted, in particular, a revival of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, specifically with his presentation of the St Matthew Passion in 1829. Felix was truly in demand throughout Europe as a composer, conductor, and soloist. For example, he visited Britain ten times. There, he premiered, namely, many of his significant works. His taste in music was. To be sure, inventive and well-crafted yet markedly conservative. This conservatism separated him by all means from more audacious musical colleagues like Liszt, Wagner, and Berlioz. Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatoire which, to clarify, became a defender of this conservative viewpoint. Mature Adulthood Schumann notably wrote that Mendelssohn was the Mozart of the nineteenth century, the most brilliant musician, the one who most clearly sees through the contradictions of the age and for the first time reconciles them. This observation points to a couple of features in particular that illustrate Mendelssohn's works and his artistic procedure. Musical Features In the first place, his musical style was fixed in his systematic mastery of the style of preceding masters. This being said, he certainly recognized and even developed early romanticism from the music of Beethoven and Weber. Secondly, it indicates that Mendelssohn sought to strengthen his inherited musical legacy rather than to exchange it with new forms and styles or replace it with exotic orchestration. Consequently, he diverged his contemporaries in the romantic period, such as Wagner, Berlioz, and Liszt. Mendelssohn revered Liszt's virtuosity at the keyboard but found his music rather insubstantial.