IntroductionFelix Mendelssohn was one of the most famous composers of the 19th century. Although in his music he showed some characteristics of romanticism, he was strongly influenced by traditional genres such as counterpoint, etc. In this essay, the biography of the composer, the history of the genre and the analysis of the piece will be studied. Biographical Sketch of Mendelssohn Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg in 1809. His father Abraham Mendelssohn was a banker, while his mother Lea Mendelssohn was a highly educated artist and musician. Mendelssohn first received his piano lesson from his mother, but he was soon sent to study with the best teachers of the time, such as Marie Bigot and Ludwig Burger. He also took composition lessons with Karl Zelter, professor at the University of Berlin. Under their proper guidance, he fully displayed his musical talent: he first appeared as a pianist at nine years old and as a composer at ten years old. By the age of twelve he had already composed nine fugues, five string symphonies, two operas and a large number of small pieces. At sixteen, the publication of his Octet in E flat major for strings and Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream marks his full maturity. In 1829, he left his hometown and began his musical tour in Italy, France and England. During this period he published many important compositions, including the overture Die Hebriden (1829), the Reformation Symphony (1830) and the Italian Symphony (1832), etc. In addition to composing, he also worked as a conductor in Düsseldorf (1833). -35) and Leipzig (1835-40). And in 1843 he founded a new conservatory in Leipzig. Until now, Mendelssohn was already a well-known pianist, composer and conductor. Unfortunately, ex...... middle of paper ......e bass part Another peculiarity is the growing importance of the woods section. Before the 19th century, the string section played a main role in presenting the melody while the wind instruments were only adopted to create orchestral colors to the piece. However, the use of woodwinds became very different during the 19th century: not only were melodies attributed to them, but sometimes they were even accompanied by the strings (Ex 4):Ex. 4 Growing importance of woodwinds in the orchestraConclusionIn a word, the Italian Symphony reflects the characteristics of a 19th century orchestral piece. More importantly, it fully demonstrates Mendelssohn's mature compositional style, which combines both classical genres and romantic style within a single piece. This explains why he is considered one of the most important figures in music history..