Organ Works, 1836–1837

Abstract This chapter reviews Mendelssohn's organ works from 1836-7. By the time he turned 27 on February 3, 1837, Felix Mendelssohn had established an enviable international reputation for himself in the musical world and had published works for a broad variety of media. Yet his reputation in the organ world rested solely on his skills as a performer and improviser. Apparently Mendelssohn now felt it was time to publish something for organ, a thought that probably began to percolate in his mind sometime during the latter half of 1836. During those months he was actively composing and compiling his six Etuden und Fugen (later, Präludien und Fugen) für Pianoforte (Op. 35), for which he ultimately pressed one of his organ duet fugues into service as the second Fugue in D Major of the set. Plans for a collection of organ fugues would seem to have been an obvious or natural extension of his work on the preludes and fugues for piano.