Fanny Hensel

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Fanny Cäcilie Mendelssohn (November 14, 1805 – May 14, 1847), later Fanny Hensel, was a German pianist and composer, and was the sister of Felix Mendelssohn; they were both the grandchildren of the distinguished Jewish philosopher, Moses Mendelssohn. Fanny Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg, the first child out of four children. Her father was Abraham Mendelssohn, (who was the son of Moses Mendelssohn and later changed the family surname to Mendelssohn Bartholdy), and his wife Lea, née Salomon, a granddaughter of the entrepreneur Daniel Itzig. Fanny benefited from the same musical education and upbringing as her brother Felix, sharing a number of his music tutors, including Zelter. Like Felix (who was born in 1809), Fanny showed prodigious musical ability as a child and began to write music. Visitors to the Mendelssohn household in the early 1820s, including Ignaz Moscheles and Sir George Smart, were equally impressed by both siblings. However, she was limited by prevailing attitudes of the time toward women, attitudes apparently shared by her father, who was tolerant, rather than supportive, of her activities as a composer. Her father wrote to her in 1820 'Music will perhaps become his [i.e. Felix's] profession, while for you it can and must be only an ornament'. On the other hand, Felix was supportive of her, as a composer and a performer, although cautious (professedly for family reasons) of her publishing her works under her own name. He did however arrange with her for a n

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