Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel

about

Fanny Cäcilie Mendelssohn (14 November 1805 – 14 May 1847), later Fanny Hensel, was a German pianist and composer, the sister of the composer Felix Mendelssohn and granddaughter of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. Fanny Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg, the oldest of four children. She was descended on both sides from distinguished Jewish families; her parents were Abraham Mendelssohn (who was the son of philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and later changed the family surname to Mendelssohn Bartholdy), and Lea, née Salomon, a granddaughter of the entrepreneur Daniel Itzig. She was not however brought up as Jewish, and never practised Judaism, though according to Professor Marcia J. Citron "Fanny retained the cultural values of liberal Judaism". Fanny shared the early musical education and upbringing of her younger brother Felix, including tuition from Carl Friedrich Zelter and others. Zelter indeed at one point favoured Fanny over Felix: he wrote to Goethe 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'. However, Fanny 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 orn

top songs

albums

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Cello Elegies And Romances, Vol. 1

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The Norton Recordings, Vol. 2 (Disc 5)

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Fanney Mendelssolhn Hensel, Das Jahr (1841) 4 Klavierstucke (1836) Beatrice Rauchs, piano

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Felix Mendelssohn: The Complete Works for Cello Piano

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Woman's Work - Music for Solo Piano

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New Historical Anthology of Music by Women

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Аэростат 958: New names (2023-10-15)

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Klavierwerke Vol.2

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Romantic Gems

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Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn: Piano Trios

Das Jahr, Nachspiel und Klavierstücke

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Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: Gartenlieder

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