Mendelssohn - Italian Symphony

Sara Mohr-Pietsch takes us on a listening journey, ending up at Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony no. 4, the Italian. He wrote it in his early twenties when he was on a Grand Tour, taking in the rich range of Italian culture - and we'll hear other music inspired by Italian tours, from the eighteenth-century English prodigy Thomas Linley to the German late Romantic Richard Strauss. The Italian folk music that inspired Mendelssohn also features, as does the music of his sister Fanny, who had to stay at home while Felix was on his travels. The Italian Symphony was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society, and there'll be more music that they have helped to bring to life down the ages.

To listen to this programme on most smart speakers, just say: 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Music Map'.