Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Felix

about his marriage to Cécile, the Music Festival at Birmingham, Sterndale Bennett, Moscheles, the death of William IV and his recent compositions, including the String Quartet [Op.44, no.2] and the Second Piano Concerto, thanking Klingemann for the invitation to return to England, but explaining that he is loathe to leave his new wife who, though she is certainly not unwell, can hardly undertake a long sea journey at this time, observing too that, with the death of William IV, the music festival at Birmingham Town Hall is unlikely to go ahead, as he has just been discussing at length with Sterndale Bennett, who has been staying with him before his return to England; Mendelssohn reports that he has been busy composing a new string quartet ("Violinquartett"), a Psalm, and has begun a new concerto, which as usual is providing him with difficulties ("...das neue Concert ist schon angefangen u. wird mir wieder wie gewöhnlich schrecklich sauer--es ist ein Elend mit dem Clavier u. seinen 100,000 Nötchen..."), and asks him to greet Moscheles and his wife [Charlotte] and thank them for their letter, but to explain that he feels it is unlikely that he can come to England before mid August,



4 pages, large 8vo (c.21.5 x 13cms), closely written, including on the address leaf, integral autograph address panel, some autograph deletions and alterations, franked in London and Frankfurt, Frankfurt, 24 June 1837, small seal tear barely affecting one word, slight foxing

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
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"...Aber jetzt, da der König todt ist, scheint mir es sehr unwahrscheinlich, dass das Musikfest überhaupt seine werde.  Ich denke an eine Menge politische Veränderungen.  Und auch ohne dies werden sie dann wohl die town Hall in Birmingham mehr zu Reden als zu Tönen gebrauchen.   Durham muss ja wieder aus Russland in London sein--du siehst, ich politisire selbst hier--ich hab' es alles mit Bennett durchgesprochen, der vor wenig Tagen auf der Ruckreise hier war, u[nd] den Rhein hin unter will..."

Mendelssohn married Cécile Jeanrenaud on 28 March 1837 (their first son was born on 7 February 1838).   Mendelssohn eventually travelled to London in late August, as promised, and conducted St Paul at Birmingham on 19 to 22 September.  Karl Klingemann was a life-long friend in the diplomatic service in London, where Moscheles was also resident.