During Felix Mendelssohn’s tour of Europe from 1829 to 1831, he visited Italy and was inspired to write Symphony No. 4, Italian. As Mendelssohn's diaries have survived, his travels are well-documented and have been published in various languages. Mendelssohn describes Italy as his supreme joy in life, suggesting that his Italian symphony would be his jolliest piece. He completed the work in 183...
