Felix Mendelssohn (-Bartholdy)

German composer Felix Mendelssohn (-Bartholdy), (1809-1847). He was born to a notable Jewish family which later converted to Lutheranism; he was a grandson of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. His work includes symphonies, concerti, oratorios, piano and chamber music. After a long period of relative denigration due to changing musical tastes and antisemitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his creative originality is now being recognized and re-evaluated. He is now among the more popular composers of the Romantic era.