![Fanny Hensel 1842](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Fanny_Hensel_1842.jpg)
Fanny Mendelssohn (14 November 1805 – 14 May 1847) was a German composer and pianist of the early Romantic era who was also known as Fanny (Cäcilie) Mendelssohn Bartholdy and, after her marriage, Fanny Hensel (as well as Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel). Her compositions include a
piano trio
A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music. The term can also refer to a group of m ...
, a
piano quartet A piano quartet is a chamber music composition for piano and three other instruments, or a musical ensemble comprising such instruments. Those other instruments are usually a string trio consisting of a violin, viola and cello.
Piano quartets for ...
, an orchestral overture, four
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning o ...
s, more than 125 pieces for the piano, and over 250
lied
In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...
er, most of which went unpublished in her lifetime. Although praised for her piano technique, she rarely gave public performances outside her family circle.
She grew up in Berlin and received a thorough musical education from teachers including her mother, as well as the composers
Ludwig Berger Ludwig Berger may refer to:
* Ludwig Berger (composer) (1777–1839), German composer
* Ludwig Berger (director)
Ludwig Berger (born Ludwig Bamberger; 6 January 1892 – 18 May 1969) was a German-Jewish film director, screenwriter and thea ...
and
Carl Friedrich Zelter
Carl Friedrich Zelter (11 December 1758 15 May 1832)Grove/Fuller-Datei:Carl-Friedrich-Zelter.jpegMaitland, 1910. The Zelter entry takes up parts of pages 593-595 of Volume V. was a German composer, conductor and teacher of music. Working in his ...
. Her younger brother
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
, also a composer and pianist, shared the same education and the two developed a close relationship. Due to her family's reservations, and to social conventions of the time about the roles of women, six of her songs were published under her brother's name in his
Opus
''Opus'' (pl. ''opera'') is a Latin word meaning "work". Italian equivalents are ''opera'' (singular) and ''opere'' (pl.).
Opus or OPUS may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* Opus number, (abbr. Op.) specifying order of (usually) publicatio ...
8 and 9 collections. In 1829, she married artist
Wilhelm Hensel
Wilhelm Hensel (6 July 1794 – 26 November 1861) was a German painter, brother of Luise Hensel, husband to Fanny Mendelssohn, and brother-in-law to Felix Mendelssohn.
Life and career
Wilhelm Hensel was born on 6 July 1794 in the German to ...
and, in 1830, they had their only child,
Sebastian Hensel. In 1846, despite the continuing ambivalence of her family towards her musical ambitions, Fanny Hensel published a collection of songs as her Opus 1. She died of a stroke in 1847.
Since the 1990s her life and works have been the subject of more detailed research. Her ''
Easter Sonata
The ''Easter Sonata'' () is a piano sonata in the key of A major, composed by Fanny Mendelssohn. It was lost for 150 years and when found attributed to her brother Felix, before finally being recognized as hers. It premiered in her name on 7 Se ...
'' was inaccurately credited to her brother in 1970, before new analysis of documents in 2010 corrected the error. The
Fanny & Felix Mendelssohn Museum
The Fanny & Felix Mendelssohn Museum is a museum in the Composers Quarter in the Neustadt district of Hamburg, Germany. It is dedicated to the classical composers and siblings Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn. It opened on 29 May 2018.
The museum fo ...
opened on 29 May 2018 in Hamburg, Germany.
Life
Early life and education
Mendelssohn was born in
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
, the
oldest of four children, including her brother
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
born four years after her. She was descended on both sides from distinguished Jewish families; her parents were
Abraham Mendelssohn
Abraham Ernst Mendelssohn Bartholdy (born Abraham Mendelssohn; 10 December 1776 – 19 November 1835) was a German banker and philanthropist. He was the father of Fanny Mendelssohn, Felix Mendelssohn, Rebecka Mendelssohn, and Paul Mendelssohn.
...
(who was the son of the philosopher
Moses Mendelssohn
Moses Mendelssohn (6 September 1729 – 4 January 1786) was a German-Jewish philosopher and theologian. His writings and ideas on Jews and the Jewish religion and identity were a central element in the development of the '' Haskalah'', or ...
), and Lea,
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Salomon, a granddaughter of the entrepreneur
Daniel Itzig
Daniel Itzig (also known as Daniel Yoffe 18 March 1723 in Berlin – 17 May 1799 in Potsdam) was a Court Jew of Kings Frederick II the Great and Frederick William II of Prussia.
Biography
Itzig was born in Berlin. His family was mercantile. I ...
. She was baptised as a Christian in 1816, becoming Fanny Cäcilie Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Despite this, she and her family continued an affinity with the social and moral values of Judaism. Like her brother Felix, she objected strongly when their father Abraham changed the family surname to "Mendelssohn Bartholdy" with the intention of playing down their Jewish origins: she wrote to Felix of "Bartholdy, that name which we all dislike."
![Carl-Friedrich-Zelter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Carl-Friedrich-Zelter.jpeg)
While growing up in the family's new home in Berlin, Mendelssohn showed prodigious musical ability and began to write music. She received her first piano instruction from her mother, who may have learned the Berlin Bach tradition through the writings of
Johann Kirnberger
Johann Philipp Kirnberger (also ''Kernberg''; 24 April 1721, Saalfeld – 27 July 1783, Berlin) was a musician, composer (primarily of fugues), and music theorist. He was a student of Johann Sebastian Bach.
According to Ingeborg Allihn, Kirnber ...
, a student of
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...
. Thus as a 14 year old, Mendelssohn could already play all 24 preludes from Bach's ''
The Well-Tempered Clavier
''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', BWV 846–893, consists of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach. In the composer's time, ''clavier'', meaning keyboard, referred to a variety of i ...
'' from memory alone, and she did so in honour of her father's birthday in 1819. Beyond inspiration from her mother, Mendelssohn may also have been influenced by the role-models represented by her great-aunts
Fanny von Arnstein
Baroness Franziska "Fanny" von Arnstein (29 September 1758 – 8 June 1818), born Vögele Itzig, was a Viennese socialite and salonnière.
Biography
Fanny Arnstein was born in Berlin, the daughter of Daniel Itzig. She was a member of the extensive ...
and
Sarah Levy
Sarah Levy (born September 10, 1986) is a Canadian actress best known for her role of Twyla Sands in ''Schitt's Creek''.
Early life
Levy is the daughter of actor Eugene Levy and Deborah Divine, and the sister of actor Dan Levy. She graduated ...
, both lovers of music, the former the patroness of a well-known
salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon ( ...
and the latter a skilled keyboard player in her own right.
After studying briefly with the pianist
Marie Bigot
Marie Kiéné Bigot de Morogues (3 March 1786 – 16 September 1820) was a French pianist and composer. She is best known for her sonatas and études.
Career
Marie Kiéné was born in Colmar in Alsace. After marrying M. Bigot, she moved to Vienn ...
in Paris, Mendelssohn and her brother Felix received piano lessons from
Ludwig Berger Ludwig Berger may refer to:
* Ludwig Berger (composer) (1777–1839), German composer
* Ludwig Berger (director)
Ludwig Berger (born Ludwig Bamberger; 6 January 1892 – 18 May 1969) was a German-Jewish film director, screenwriter and thea ...
and composition instruction from
Carl Friedrich Zelter
Carl Friedrich Zelter (11 December 1758 15 May 1832)Grove/Fuller-Datei:Carl-Friedrich-Zelter.jpegMaitland, 1910. The Zelter entry takes up parts of pages 593-595 of Volume V. was a German composer, conductor and teacher of music. Working in his ...
. At one point, Zelter favoured Fanny over Felix: he wrote to
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...
in 1816, in a letter introducing Abraham Mendelssohn to the poet, "He has adorable children and his oldest daughter could give you something of Sebastian Bach. This child is really something special." Both Mendelssohn and her brother Felix received instruction in composition from Zelter starting in 1819. In October 1820, they joined the
Sing-Akademie zu Berlin
The Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, also known as the Berliner Singakademie, is a musical (originally choral) society founded in Berlin in 1791 by Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch, harpsichordist to the court of Prussia, on the model of the 18th-century ...
, which was then being led by Zelter. Much later, in an 1831 letter to Goethe, Zelter described Fanny's skill as a pianist with the highest praise for a woman at the time: "... she plays like a man." Visitors to the Mendelssohn household in the early 1820s, including
Ignaz Moscheles
Isaac Ignaz Moscheles (; 23 May 179410 March 1870) was a Bohemian piano virtuoso and composer. He was based initially in London and later at Leipzig, where he joined his friend and sometime pupil Felix Mendelssohn as professor of piano at the Co ...
and
Sir George Smart
Sir George Thomas Smart (10 May 1776 – 23 February 1867) was an English musician.
Smart was born in London, his father being a music-seller. He was a choir-boy at the Chapel Royal, and was educated in music, becoming an expert violinist, orga ...
, were equally impressed by both siblings.
Gender and class limitations
![Abraham Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Zeichnung von Wilhelm Hensel 1823](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Abraham_Mendelssohn_Bartholdy_-_Zeichnung_von_Wilhelm_Hensel_1823.jpg)
The music historian
Richard Taruskin
Richard Filler Taruskin (April 2, 1945 – July 1, 2022) was an American musicologist and music critic who was among the leading and most prominent music historians of his generation. The breadth of his scrutiny into source material as well as ...
suggests that "the life of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel is compelling proof that women's failure to "compete" with men on the compositional playing-field has been the result of social prejudice and patriarchical mores (which in the nineteenth century granted only men the right to make the decisions in
bourgeois
The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. ...
households)." Such attitudes were shared by Mendelssohn's father, who was tolerant, rather than supportive, of her activities as a composer. In 1820, he wrote to her, "Music will perhaps become his
.e. Felix'sprofession, while for it can and must be only an ornament". Although Felix was privately broadly supportive of her as a composer and a performer, he was cautious (professedly for family reasons) of her publishing her works under her own name. He wrote:
From my knowledge of Fanny I should say that she has neither inclination nor vocation for authorship. She is too much all that a woman ought to be for this. She regulates her house, and neither thinks of the public nor of the musical world, nor even of music at all, until her first duties are fulfilled. Publishing would only disturb her in these, and I cannot say that I approve of it.
The music historian Angela Mace Christian has written that Fanny Mendelssohn "struggled her entire life with the conflicting impulses of authorship versus the social expectations for her high-class status ...; her hesitation was variously a result of her dutiful attitude towards her father, her intense relationship with her brother, and her awareness of contemporary social thought on women in the public sphere." Felix's friend
Henry Chorley wrote of Fanny: "Had Madame Hensel been a poor man's daughter, she must have become known to the world by the side of
Madame Schumann and
Madame Pleyel as a female pianist of the highest class", suggesting that as well as her sex, her social class was limiting for her career.
The biography of the Mendelssohn family compiled from family documents by Fanny's son
Sebastian Hensel has been construed by the musicologist
Marian Wilson Kimber
Marian Wilson Kimber is an American musicologist and a Professor of Music at the University of Iowa. Having completed a dissertation on the autograph scores of Felix Mendelssohn's piano concertos, Wilson Kimber received her PhD in Musicology fr ...
as intending to represent Fanny as having no aspirations to perform outside the private sphere. Kimber notes that Fanny's "oft-reported longing for a professional music career is not supported by her ... diaries, which are somewhat surprising for how little they reveal about her musical life."
Felix and Fanny
![Mendelssohn Bartholdy 1821](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Mendelssohn_Bartholdy_1821.jpg)
The siblings' bond was strengthened by their shared passion for music. Fanny's works were often played alongside her brother's at the family home in Berlin in a Sunday concert series (Sonntagskonzerte), which was originally organized by her father and after 1831 carried on by Fanny herself. In 1822, when Fanny was 17 and Felix 13, she wrote "Up to the present moment I possess his
elix'sunbounded confidence. I have watched the progress of his talent step by step, and may say I have contributed to his development. I have always been his only musical adviser, and he never writes down a thought before submitting it to my judgment."
In 1826/1827 Felix arranged with Fanny for some of her songs to be published under his name, three in his Op. 8 collection and three more in his Op. 9. In 1842, this resulted in an embarrassing moment when
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
, receiving Felix at
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
, expressed her intention of singing to the composer her favourite of his songs, ''Italien'' (to words by
Franz Grillparzer
Franz Seraphicus Grillparzer (15 January 1791 – 21 January 1872) was an Austrian writer who was considered to be the leading Austrian dramatist of the 19th century. His plays were and are frequently performed at the famous Burgtheater in Vien ...
), which Felix confessed was by Fanny.
There was a lifelong musical correspondence between the two. Fanny helped Felix by providing constructive criticism of pieces and projects, which he always considered very carefully. Felix would rework pieces solely based on the suggestions she made, and nicknamed her "Minerva" after the
Roman goddess of wisdom. Their correspondence of 1840/41 reveals that they were both outlining scenarios for an opera on the subject of the
Nibelungenlied
The ( gmh, Der Nibelunge liet or ), translated as ''The Song of the Nibelungs'', is an epic poem written around 1200 in Middle High German. Its anonymous poet was likely from the region of Passau. The is based on an oral tradition of Germani ...
(which never materialized): Fanny wrote "The hunt with
Siegfried's death provides a splendid finale to the second act."
[Letter of 9 December 1840. See ]
Marriage and later life
![Fannymendelssohn-improved](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Fannymendelssohn-improved.jpg)
In 1829, after a courtship of several years (they had first met in 1821 when she was 16), Fanny married the artist
Wilhelm Hensel
Wilhelm Hensel (6 July 1794 – 26 November 1861) was a German painter, brother of Luise Hensel, husband to Fanny Mendelssohn, and brother-in-law to Felix Mendelssohn.
Life and career
Wilhelm Hensel was born on 6 July 1794 in the German to ...
, and the following year gave birth to their only child,
Sebastian Hensel. She later had at least two miscarriages or stillbirths, in 1832 and 1837.
In 1830 came her first public notice as a composer, when John Thomson, who had met her in Berlin the previous year, wrote in the London journal ''
The Harmonicon
''The Harmonicon'' was an influential monthly journal of music published in London from 1823 to 1833. It was edited at one period by William Ayrton (1777–1858.) Issues contained articles on diverse topics, including reviews of musical composi ...
'' in praise of a number of her songs that had been shown to him by Felix. Her public debut at the piano (one of only three known public performances according to Mendelssohn scholar R. Larry Todd) came in 1838, when she played her brother's
Piano Concerto No. 1.
Fanny's support of Felix's music was clearly demonstrated during the 1838 rehearsals in Berlin for her brother's oratorio ''
St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
'' at the Singverein, which she attended at the invitation of its conductor,
Carl Friedrich Rungenhagen
Carl Friedrich Rungenhagen (first name also sometimes given as Karl;Eitner (1889) 27 September 1778 – 21 December 1851) was a German composer and music teacher.
Life
Rungenhagen abandoned early study of art under Daniel Chodowiecki and joi ...
. In a letter to her brother she described attending the rehearsals and "suffering and champing at the bit ... as I heard the whining and
he accompanist'sdirty fingers on the piano ... They started
he passage'mache dich auf' at half the right tempo, and then I instinctively called out, 'My God, it must go twice as fast!' The consequence was that Rungenhagen consulted her closely about all details of the rehearsals and performance; this included her firm instructions not to add a
tuba
The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...
to the organ part. "I assured them that they should be ruled by my word, and they'd better do it for God's sake."
![Wilhelm Hensel - Selbstbildnis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Wilhelm_Hensel_-_Selbstbildnis.jpg)
Wilhelm Hensel, like Felix, was supportive of Fanny's composing, but unlike many others of her circle was also in favour of her seeking publication of her works. The music historian
Nancy B. Reich has suggested two events which may have increased her confidence. One was her visit to Italy with her husband and Sebastian in 1839–40. This was her first visit to Southern Europe and she felt invigorated and inspired; they also spent time with young French musicians who had won the
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...
(one was the young
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
) and whose respect for Fanny powered her self-esteem as a musician. The other event was her acquaintance shortly afterwards with the Berlin music enthusiast
Robert von Keudell: in her diary she wrote: "Keudell looks at everything new that I write with the greatest interest, and points out to me if there is something to be corrected ... He has always given me the very best counsel."
In 1846, after an approach by two Berlin publishers and without consulting Felix, she decided to publish a collection of her songs (as her Op. 1), under her married name, "Fanny Hensel geb.
.e. néeMendelssohn-Bartholdy". After publication, Felix wrote to her "
send you my professional blessing on becoming a member of the craft ... may you have much happiness in giving pleasure to others; may you taste only the sweets and none of the bitterness of authorship; may the public pelt you with roses, and never with sand." (12 August 1846). On 14 August Fanny wrote in her journal "Felix has written, and given me his professional blessing in the kindest manner. I know that he is not quite satisfied in his heart of hearts, but I am glad he has said a kind word to me about it." She also wrote about the publication to her friend Angelica von Woringen: "I can truthfully say that I let it happen more than made it happen, and it is this in particular which cheers me ... If
he publisherswant more from me, it should act as a stimulus to achieve. If the matter comes to an end then, I also won't grieve, for I'm not ambitious."
Throughout March 1847 Fanny had many meetings with
Clara Schumann
Clara Josephine Schumann (; née Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, she exerted her influence over the course of a ...
. At this time Fanny was working on her
Piano Trio Op. 11 and Clara had recently completed her own
Piano Trio (Op. 17), which she may have intended to dedicate to Fanny.
Death
On 14 May 1847 Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel died in Berlin of complications from a stroke suffered while rehearsing one of her brother's
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning o ...
s, ''
The First Walpurgis Night''. Felix himself died less than six months later from the same cause (which was also responsible for the deaths of both of their parents and their grandfather Moses), but not before completing his
String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, written in memory of his sister. Fanny was buried next to her parents in a portion of the
Dreifaltigkeit Cemetery in Berlin reserved for Jewish converts to Christianity (''Neuchristen'').
Compositions
![IMSLP99178-PMLP194743-Hensel Fanny Sechs Lieder fuer eine Stimme mit Begleitung des Pianoforte Op 1 Bote 1046 1846 p 1pdf](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/IMSLP99178-PMLP194743-Hensel_Fanny_Sechs_Lieder_fuer_eine_Stimme_mit_Begleitung_des_Pianoforte_Op_1_Bote_1046_1846_p_1pdf.png)
Fanny Mendelssohn composed over 450 pieces of music. Her compositions include a
piano trio
A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music. The term can also refer to a group of m ...
, a
piano quartet A piano quartet is a chamber music composition for piano and three other instruments, or a musical ensemble comprising such instruments. Those other instruments are usually a string trio consisting of a violin, viola and cello.
Piano quartets for ...
, an orchestral overture, four cantatas, over 125 pieces for the piano, and in excess of 250
lied
In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...
er (art songs). Six of her songs were originally published under Felix's name in his
Opus
''Opus'' (pl. ''opera'') is a Latin word meaning "work". Italian equivalents are ''opera'' (singular) and ''opere'' (pl.).
Opus or OPUS may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* Opus number, (abbr. Op.) specifying order of (usually) publicatio ...
8 and 9 collections. Her piano works are often in the manner of songs, and many carry the name ''Lied für Klavier (Song for Piano)'', analogous to Felix's ''Lieder ohne Worte (
Songs Without Words
''Songs Without Words'' (') is a series of short lyrical piano works by the Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn written between 1829 and 1845. His sister, Fanny Mendelssohn, and other composers also wrote pieces in the same genre.
Music
The ...
)''. This style of piano music was most successfully developed by Felix, whose first set (Op. 19b) appeared in 1829–30, with a second set (Op. 30) appearing in 1833–34. Fanny's sets of ''Lieder für Klavier'' were written in the period 1836–1837, at about the same time as Felix's set Op. 38.
The majority of Fanny Mendelssohn's compositions are limited to lieder and piano pieces as she felt her abilities did not extend to larger, more intricate compositions. She was also undoubtedly hampered by the fact that, unlike her brother, she had never studied or played any string instruments, experience which would have assisted her in writing chamber or orchestral works. After completing her string quartet, she wrote to Felix in 1835, "I lack the ability to sustain ideas properly and give them the needed consistency. Therefore lieder suit me best, in which, if need be, merely a pretty idea without much potential for development can suffice." She was an early example of women composers of a string quartet; she had also earlier written, with the assistance of Zelter, a
piano quartet A piano quartet is a chamber music composition for piano and three other instruments, or a musical ensemble comprising such instruments. Those other instruments are usually a string trio consisting of a violin, viola and cello.
Piano quartets for ...
in 1822 (her first large-scale work), and, despite her reservations in her letter to Felix, she wrote in her last year a
piano trio
A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music. The term can also refer to a group of m ...
(Op. 11). Her ''
Easter Sonata
The ''Easter Sonata'' () is a piano sonata in the key of A major, composed by Fanny Mendelssohn. It was lost for 150 years and when found attributed to her brother Felix, before finally being recognized as hers. It premiered in her name on 7 Se ...
'' written in 1828, was unpublished in her lifetime. It was discovered and attributed to her brother in 1970, before examination of the manuscript and a mention of the work in her diary finally established in 2010 that the work was hers.
![April (Fanny Hensel, Das Jahr)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/April_%28Fanny_Hensel%2C_Das_Jahr%29.jpg)
Most of Hensel's work after her marriage was on a small scale, songs and piano pieces. In 1831 for the first birthday of her son Sebastian, she created a
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning o ...
, the ''Lobgesang (Song of Praise)''. Two other works for orchestra, soloists and choir were written in that year, ''Hiob (
Job'') and an
oratorio
An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...
in sixteen sections, ''Höret zu, merket auf (Listen and take note)''. In 1841 she composed a cycle of piano pieces depicting the months of the year, ''Das Jahr'' (The Year). The music was written on tinted sheets of paper and illustrated by her husband, with each piece accompanied by a short poem. The writer Kristine Forney has suggested that the poems, artwork and coloured paper may represent the different stages of life, with others suggesting they represent her own life. In a letter from Rome, Fanny described the process behind composing ''Das Jahr'':
I have been composing a good deal lately, and have called my piano pieces after the names of my favourite haunts, partly because they really came into my mind at these spots, partly because our pleasant excursions were in my mind while I was writing them. They will form a delightful souvenir, a kind of second diary. But do not imagine that I give these names when playing them in society, they are for home use entirely.
After ''Das Jahr'' her only large-scale work was her Piano Trio Op. 11 of 1847.
Style and form
Angela Mace, the musicologist who proved Fanny Hensel's authorship of the ''Easter Sonata'', considers that Fanny was much more experimental with her lieder than Felix, noting that her works have a "harmonic density" that serves to express emotion.
R. Larry Todd has pointed out that, although there has been much comment about the influence of Felix's music on Fanny (and some comment on that of Fanny on Felix), both were strongly influenced by the later music of
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
in terms of
form
Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens.
Form also refers to:
*Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data
* ...
,
tonality
Tonality is the arrangement of pitches and/or chords of a musical work in a hierarchy of perceived relations, stabilities, attractions and directionality. In this hierarchy, the single pitch or triadic chord with the greatest stability is ca ...
and
fugal counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tra ...
. This is apparent for example in Fanny's string quartet.
The musicologist Stephen Rodgers has claimed that the relative lack of analysis of Fanny Hensel's music has left the presence of triple
hypermeter
In music, metre ( Commonwealth spelling) or meter (American spelling) refers to regularly recurring patterns and accents such as bars and beats. Unlike rhythm, metric onsets are not necessarily sounded, but are nevertheless implied by the perfo ...
in her songs mostly overlooked. He points to this type of meter being used by Mendelssohn to alter the speed of vocals in the song and to reflect emotions through distortion of duple norms. He also points to a lack of
tonic harmony as a recurring characteristic of her lieder, identifying it in the lied ''Verlust'' (''Loss'') as a deliberate means to reflect the song's themes of abandonment and failing to find love. Mendelssohn's use of
word painting
Word painting, also known as tone painting or text painting, is the musical technique of composing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song's lyrics or story elements in programmatic music.
Historical development
Tone painting of words ...
is also acknowledged as a common element of her style, a method of stressing emotion in the song text. She commonly used
strophic form
Strophic form – also called verse-repeating form, chorus form, AAA song form, or one-part song form – is a song structure in which all verses or stanzas of the text are sung to the same music. Contrasting song forms include through-composed, ...
for her songs, and her piano accompaniments frequently doubled the voice-line, characteristics also of the music of her teachers Zelter and Berger. Though the foundation created by her teachers would remain, Rodgers suggests that she increasingly turned to
through-composed
In music theory of musical form, through-composed music is a continuous, non- sectional, and non- repetitive piece of music. The term is typically used to describe songs, but can also apply to instrumental music.
While most musical forms such as t ...
forms as her style developed, as a way to respond to elements of poetic text.
Legacy
![Fannyhenselgrave](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Fannyhenselgrave.jpg)
From the 1980s onwards there has been renewed interest in Mendelssohn and her works. The
Fanny & Felix Mendelssohn Museum
The Fanny & Felix Mendelssohn Museum is a museum in the Composers Quarter in the Neustadt district of Hamburg, Germany. It is dedicated to the classical composers and siblings Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn. It opened on 29 May 2018.
The museum fo ...
, which is dedicated to the lives and work of the two siblings, opened on 29 May 2018 in Hamburg, Germany.
Minor planet
:fr:(9331) Fannyhensel is named after her.
On 14 November 2021,
Google
Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
commemorated Fanny Hensel's 216th birthday with a
Google Doodle
A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
in North America, Iceland, Germany, Greece, Ukraine, Israel, Armenia, Australia and New Zealand.
Music
Six months before his death, Felix attempted to ensure that his sister received the recognition that had been withheld throughout much of her life. He collected many of her works intending to release them to the public through his publisher,
Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf.
The catalogue currently contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on ...
. In 1850, the publisher began to distribute Fanny Mendelssohn's unreleased works, starting with ''Vier Lieder'' Op. 8.
Commencing in the late 1980s, Fanny Mendelssohn's music has become better known, thanks to concert performances and new recordings. Her ''Easter Sonata'' for piano, formerly attributed to Felix, was premiered in her name by Andrea Lam on 12 September 2012.
Writings
Fanny Mendelssohn published no writings during her lifetime. Selected letters and journal entries were published during the 19th century, notably by Sebastian Hensel in his book on the Mendelssohn family. Her collected letters to Felix, edited by Marcia Citron, were published in 1987.
Biographical and musicological studies
During the 19th century Fanny mainly figured as a bystander in biographies and studies of her brother Felix; typically she was a representative of a supposed 'feminizing' influence that sapped his artistry. In the 20th century the conventional narrative switched to presenting Felix as disapproving of his sister's musical activities and seeking to contain them, whilst the 'feminizing' accusation against Fanny evaporated. From the 1980s onwards Fanny Mendelssohn has been the subject of many academic books and articles. Kimber opines that "The tale of Fanny, the 'suppressed' composer, has so readily found a place in the biographies of the siblings because of its resemblance to prevailing models for the life of a 'Great Composer' ... based in Romantic ideology about male artists. ... Hensel fits neatly into a traditional narrative of the suffering artistic genius ... with a modern twist: the feminine gender of its main character. Thus two characters
elix and Fannyare forced to bear the weight of two centuries of gender ideology."
A catalogue of the works of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel has been prepared by Renate Hellwig-Unruh, according to which each work may be referred to by its "H-U number".
References
Notes
Citations
Cited sources
;Books
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External links
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Free digital scores by Hensel, Fanny (Mendelssohn)in th
OpenScore Lieder CorpusFanny Hensel geb. Mendelssohnfannyhensel.de
(in German) rcs-krueger.de/FannyHensel.htm
editionsilvertrust.com
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The Complete Songs of Fanny Hensel free to download edited by Tim Parker-Langston
Free digital scores of Fanny Hensel's piano and instrumental musicfrom HenselPushers
Fanny Hensel manuscript and document scansfrom Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Digitized Collections
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mendelssohn, Fanny
1805 births
1847 deaths
19th-century classical composers
19th-century classical pianists
19th-century German composers
19th-century women composers
Burials at Dreifaltigkeitsfriedhof I, Berlin
Child classical musicians
Composers for piano
German Calvinist and Reformed Christians
German classical pianists
German women pianists
German women classical composers
German people of Jewish descent
German Romantic composers
Fanny
Musicians from Berlin
Musicians from Hamburg
Women classical pianists
19th-century women pianists