“[F]or today’s composers and conductors, Mendelssohn comes a long way down the list. How did this genius composer come to be synonymous with the worst aspects of 19th-century music – its conservatism, nostalgia, sentimentality and superficiality?” Blame Wagner — again. “The tragedy is that Wagner’s critique has become – minus most of the racism – the default position when it comes to Mendelssohn.”