Mendelssohn’s symphonic legacy can be divided into three parts: the string symphonies he composed in his youth, his early mature symphonies, and those completed in the 1840s. The Italian Symphony belongs to the middle period and is the most popular of them all. The composer himself called it “The jolliest symphony I have ever composed.”
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he first version of the Italian Symphony was premiered on 13 May 1833 by the Philharmonic Society of London, conducted by Mendelssohn himself. It is known as the Italian because it was inspired by the composer’s travels in that country. Being born into a wealthy family afforded him the opportunity to tour Europe in the year he turned twenty-one. After visiting several other countries, he arrived in Italy in May 1830, travelling through Venice, Rome, Naples, Genoa, and Milan. According to his correspondence with his family, the work’s composition began in Rome. There is evidence that the second and fourth movements are linked to personal experiences—his time in Naples and witnessing local dances in Rome, respectively.
Thus, while it is purely speculative, it is tempting to imagine the four movements as a series of musical postcards. This impression is greatly aided by the wealth of orchestral effects, all without sacrificing the most impeccable fluency of musical discourse. One hears the “blue sky,” the blossoming of spring, vigorous tarantellas… but also solemn sonorities, such as the celebrated Pilgrims’ March of the second movement. This may well be a melancholic recollection of an experience in the streets of Naples—streets which today are known for their bustling energy and urban noise.
Rui Campos Leitão