 When Friedrich Wilhelm IV came to the Prussian throne in 1840 with ambitions to develop Berlin as a cultural centre ( including the establishment of a music school , and reform of music for the church ) , the obvious choice to head these reforms was Mendelssohn . He was however reluctant to undertake the task , especially in the light of his existing strong position in Leipzig . Mendelssohn did however spend some time in Berlin , writing some church music , and , at the King 's request , music for productions of Sophocles 's Antigone ( 1841 ) and Oedipus at Colonus ( 1845 ) , Shakespeare 's A Midsummer Night 's Dream ( 1843 ) and Racine 's Athalie ( 1845 ) . But the funds for the school never materialised , and various of the court 's promises to Mendelssohn regarding finances , title , and concert programming were broken . He was therefore not displeased to have the excuse to return to Leipzig . 
