Polko, an important German novelist, poet, and musician of her day, studied singing under Felix Mendelssohn. Polko's work was originally published in 1869. The new unabridged re-publication of the English translation is therefore a valuable resource in that it represents primary source materials, including opinions and testimonies of many of Mendelssohn's well-known contemporaries. . . this is a significant reprint of a work that has established its niche in the literature of Mendelssohniana. . . -- ChoiceThis is a welcome reprint of a memoir of Mendelssohn by a German contemporary originally published in 1869. It offers a sympathetic portrait of the composer, who lived in the age of romanticism in German music and whose own music remains a cherished part of the permanent repertoire. Elise Polko worked with the composer and imparted to her biography a personal touch which adds a vital dimension to her portrait. -- John Barkham Reviews