Description

This is the first of a series of 13 String Symphonies (sometimes labelled ‘Sinfonia’) that were composed by Mendelssohn in his early teens. Remarkably, these pieces were undiscovered until the early 1960’s. This earliest symphony shows his rigorous training in Bach counterpoint and chorale harmonies, but still has pointers toward his own individual style that was to develop throughout his lifetime. It follows the standard three movement form, with an opening Allegro, a slower middle movement and then a lively closing movement. In this edition, dynamics and articulation have been largely left to the performers discretion.