This is the second among 13 string symphonies written between 1821 and 1823, when Mendelssohn was twelve to fourteen years old. Like the other 12, it was written as a tribute to early Classical symphonies by composers such as Haydn, J.C. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, and Mozart. Mendelssohn composed most of the thirteen works in three movements, and his second string symphony is no exception. Instrumentation: String Orchestra (8-8-5-5-5).