Colin Timothy Eatock

This is one of those rare academic books that is a real page-turner.

Written in clear, concise language, with a minimum of technical jargon, this book can be enjoyed the the specialist and non-specialist alike. The author has woven an enormous amount of threads, including Mendelssohn's own letters, published concert reviews, concert ephemera, commmentaries, and even royal journals.

The author has a gift for communicating in just the right words exectly what we need to know. For example, he neatly summarizes the political-dynastic situation in Bratain during the early years of Victoria's reign in one succinct paragraph. not an easy feat! As well, the writing is taut and muscular throughout, clobbering words used sparingly to great effect. In one instance, we learn about a "heavily embroidered" hagiography of Mendelssohn by an ardent fan.

The author as critic is always fair and presents both sides of every issue, personality, situation. He recites the usual negative qualities of Victoria's predecessor George IV (profligacy, selfishness, deriliction of duty), but is fair in crediting this much maligned King for doing alot to enrich the cultural life in England, such as purchasing fine paintings, commissioning Beethoven's 9th symphony,and donating important fine collections of books that formed the basis of what is now the British Library.

As a student of Queen Victoria studies, and a one-time student of music history, I was drawn to the book through the famous, and somewhat hagiographic meeting of Victoria, her consort Albert, and the composer. The author reports that the Royal couple met with the composer 4 times in the 1840s. Victoria's journals, the sources for this information, were heavily expurgated by her daughter Princess Beatrice upon the sovereign's demise in 1901, so it may very well be that Princess Bea may have deleted or re-wrote whatever her mother had committed to the journal regarding any exchanges between herself, Albert and Mendelssohn. Prince Albert was a talented amateur composer himself, and had written much music (art songs in a vaguely Schubertian vein, as well as alot of sacred music--realisations available on the Ace of Diamonds label) during his teens. It is interesting to conjecture how Mendelssohn may have responded to Albert's music, if he performed it for him, especially if pushed for comment, minding that he had to respect the Royal sensibilities. Surely, he would have found the priggish Albert's modulations to be perfectly "gentlemanly"! (Although ... there is a rather funky tritone root progression in Albert's art song "Lebewohl!")

The author has done much to demonstrate that beyond Mendelssohn's popular appeal, there was a genuine influence on compositional models used by the later 19th century English composers. I hope that as well as restoring Mendelssohn to his proper place in the development of 19th century English music, this book will also inspire serious study into the works of the lesser-studied English composers mentioned in the book, such as Elgar, Parry, and Macfarren.

The list of dramatis personae brings together some rather surprising names that were in varying degrees participants in the Mendelssohnization of England. I was surprised to see the names of relatively obscure music theorists such as Mauritz Hauptmann, not-so-obscure musicologists such as Francois-Jerome Fetis (who thinks he knows everything!), author-cum-prime minister Benjamin Disraeli (who knows he knows everything!), the Queen herself, and other musical notables more directly involved in the Mendelssohn story. This annotated list is very helpful in keeping all the characters straight. Also useful is the tabular format Lebenslauf of Mendelssohn's professional engagements.

A great read, and a valuable reference tool. As Queen Victoria may well have said, "we are very much a-mused." Indeed! Jolly good show, Dr Eatock!… (mehr)