Happy 200th Felix

February 3 marks Felix Mendelssohn's bicentennial. WFMT dedicates most of the day from 6am to midnight to this great and prolificate composer. We'll sample some of the symphonies, choral music, chamber works, piano pieces and other compositions on February 3rd...and continue to celebrate Mendelssohn's vast repertoire throughout February.

Right now, we'll take a look and a listen to one piece. The violin concerto in e minor. There is no other piece in the violin concerto repertoire like it. After a brief non-introduction, the violin immediately proclaims "here I am!" with a bold and passionate tune. By the end of the first page the soloist takes a deep breath for perhaps the most famous octaves in violinland...two times.

The piece is as challenging as Brahms and as revealing as Mozart. And what's so interesting to me is hearing how every violinist answers the question...."how can I be different?"

Here are a few of the many examples of those famous opening bars...

Sarah Chang



Anne Akiko Meyers



Janine Jansen



Shlomo Mintz



Yehudi Menuhin



Kyungwha Chung



Christian Ferras



Chen Xi