Mendelssohn and Certain Masterworks is a beautifully written and thoroughly researched book that delves into the life and works of renowned composer Felix Mendelssohn. Herbert Francis Peyser provides a comprehensive analysis of some of Mendelssohn's most significant pieces, offering deep insights into their origins, influences, and reception over time.

What makes this book particularly compelling is Peyser's ability to intertwine biographical details about Mendelssohn with detailed examinations of his compositions. The book is accessible to both casual music lovers and serious scholars, offering a well-rounded exploration of Mendelssohn's legacy in the world of classical music.

Peyser's writing is engaging and informative, making it easy for readers to understand and appreciate the complexities of Mendelssohn's music. Overall, Mendelssohn and Certain Masterworks is a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about the life and music of this influential composer.

Book Description:
In the compass of the present pamphlet it is impossible to give more than a cursory survey of Mendelssohn’s happy but extraordinarily crowded life. He was only slightly less prolific a composer than such masters as Bach, Mozart or Schubert, even if he did not reach the altitude of their supreme heights. But irrespective of the quality of much of his output, the sheer mass of it is astounding, the more so when we consider the extent of his travels and the unceasing continuity of his professional and social activities, which immensely exceeded anything of the kind in the career of Schubert or Bach. - Summary by Author's Foreword