ABSTRACT
Although Felix Mendelssohn's compositions were virtually unknown to the London of 1829, his reputation preceded him in musical circles. Mendelssohn was a prodigy, and prodigies tend to be noticed. The first mention of Mendelssohn, appearing in the Quarterly Musical Magazine and Review in the summer of 1823, was in a review of a Berlin concert on 5 December 1822, in which 'the young Felix Mendelssohn performed a concerto, composed by himself, on the pianoforte'. Mendelssohn's accomplishments as a Wunderkind were made known in London through word of mouth, thanks to three well-placed men: Ignaz Moscheles, Carl Klingemann and George Smart. Mendelssohn also found time for sightseeing: visiting London's docks, the excavations for the Thames Tunnel and an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art. Over the course of his future visits, Mendelssohn would build on his initial reception, cultivating friendships and professional relationships with England's musical community that led to further, often unpredictable, developments.
