“Harken to the tidings that will bring the spring!” That’s what we sang in the third grade to the tune of “Spring Song,” Mendelssohn’s most famous “Song without Words.” We all hope this hard winter is ...

Audiences love Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor for its warmth and frequent pyrotechnics. The concerto also features playful innovations that would have shocked—or delighted—the audience at ...