Sinfonia No. 10: String Symphony in B Minor [String Orchestra]

This is the tenth among thirteen string symphonies written between 1821 and 1823, when Mendelssohn was twelve to fourteen years old. Like the other twelve, it was written as a tribute to early Classical symphonies by composers such as Haydn, J.C. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, and Mozart, a feature much more obvious in the first six as they were more imitative. The second grouping, starting with Sinfonia No. 7, show more of the composer's emerging personal style. Mendelssohn composed most of the thirteen string symphonies in three movements, but all that remains of his tenth is a single movement. Historians are unsure whether the work was meant to be a single or multi-movement work. Mendelssohn composed this piece with two separate viola parts. Instrumentation: String Orchestra (2 viola parts) (8-8-[3-3]-5-5 in set).