Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

The Symphony No. 5 in D major/D minor, Op. 107, called the Reformation Symphony, was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1830 in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. This Confession was a key document of Lutheranism and its Presentation to Emperor Charles V in June 1530 was a momentous event of the Protestant Reformation. The symphony was written for a full orchestra and was the second extended symphony that Mendelssohn had written. It was not published until 1868, 21 years after the composer's death - hence its numbering as '5'. Although the symphony is not very frequently performed, it is better known today than it was during Mendelssohn's lifetime.

I created this arrangement of the third movement of Mendelssohn's Reformation Symphony; arguably one of the most memorable melodies Mendelssohn ever wrote. I believe that this version for Viola and Concert (Pedal) Harp retains all the beauty and finesse of the original.