Fanny Hensel

German composer and pianist Fanny Hensel was born Fanny Mendelssohn in Hamburg on 14 November 1805, the oldest of four children, and grew up in Berlin. She was very close to her brother, Felix Mendelssohn, and they shared the same education, studying with their mother and with composers Ludwig Berger and Carl Friedrich Zelter.

Her family was reluctant for her to work as a musician, and her music was mostly hidden during her life, but much research has been carried out during the 21st century.

During her life, six of her songs were published under her brother's name, and new document analysis in 2010 revealed that the so-called Easter Sonata was written by Fanny, not Felix.

Fanny Hensel died from a stroke on 14 May 1847, aged forty-one.

 

A selection of articles about Fanny Hensel

Spotlight. Musical Siblings - Gerald Fenech heartily recommends Isata Kanneh-Mason's new Mendelssohn album. 'An enchanting album, sensitively performed and sumptuously recorded ...'

Spotlight. Inspired and Joyous Choral Singing - Gerald Fenech strongly recommends choral music by Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn. '... stirring music from beginning to end from, maybe, the most famous siblings in nineteenth century musical history.'

Ensemble. Intimacy and Intensity - Ian Bostridge and Imogen Cooper at the Oxford Lieder Festival impress Patrick Maxwell

Ensemble. Rhythms and Algorithms - Mike Wheeler was at Sinfonia Viva's latest schools project

Ensemble. Listening with Fresh Ears - A little-known version of the 'Italian Symphony' plus other music by Mendelssohn and Berlioz, from Sarah Connolly, Kati Debretzeni and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, intrigues Malcolm Miller

Ensemble. Refined Phrasing - Gemma Lois Summerfield and Sebastian Whybrew at Buxton impress Mike Wheeler

CD Spotlight. Likeable Discs - Music for cello and piano, heard by Howard Smith. '... affectionately presented throughout.'

Ensemble. Winning Freshness - Music by Bach, Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn, Mozart and Wagner, played by Sinfonia Viva, and heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Bravo Chameleon! - Scintillating sounds at the Third Annual Women Composers Concert, by Lawrence Budmen