ABSTRACT
This chapter presents details of Mendelssohn first visit to London, which suggest that Mendelssohn's fond relationship with the English capital arose out of the political and cultural climate he found there, and was in turn of lasting significance for his artistic development. It suggests that Mendelssohn may have written an 'Assimilation' Symphony as a result. In the broader context of Jewish assimilation, the Mendelssohns' silences about their past are not just understandable; they were an integral part of the process. Political consciousness in the Mendelssohn household was problematic, however. The family's wealth was sufficient to annul any identification with economic injustices. The source of Mendelssohn's introductions to the English aristocracy—who still held the reins of power—was the Berlin ambassador to London, Friedrich Wilhelm von Bulow. A theoretical explanation of this concentration of symphonic inspiration into a few years can be found in the trajectory of assimilation suggested.
