Their parents' encouragement in developing their children's rich cultural and intellectual lives reflected the esteem with which the value of education was regarded in the Mendelssohn household. Young Felix and his siblings received a broad education - initially from both parents, and only later by tutors - in French, German, Latin, Greek, arithmetic, geometry, geography, literature, music theory, violin, and drawing. Felix began to refer to his older sister as "Minerva," the Roman goddess of wisdom, for her highly developed musical and intellectual insight.īoth of Mendelssohn's parents - his father, Abraham Mendelssohn (1776-1835), and his mother Lea Solomon Mendelssohn (1777-1842) - were cultured individuals who played an active role in the education of their children. The fact that from very early in their lives, and until Fanny's death (she died only six months before her brother), Felix would regularly submit his compositions to Fanny's discerning musical eye and ear, taking her critical advice to heart, and never hesitating to modify or excise entirely material that she found questionable. While Fanny's gender prohibited her from enjoying the same social opportunities or support in developing her musical gifts, her talents appeared to be nearly as formidable as those of her more famous brother. The piece was performed under her name for the first time in 2017, nearly 190 years after its composition.Performing Arts Reading Room, Libraryĭrawn together by their shared love of music and exceptional talents, Felix Mendelssohn and his older sister Fanny (1805-1847) developed a close relationship that was to endure throughout their lives. In 2010, musicologists uncovered the Easter Sonata, a masterful, solo piano piece written by Hensel when she was 22 years old that had been mistakenly attributed to her brother. Although her public image was overshadowed by her brother Felix’s career, she devoted herself to developing the Mendelssohnian style in over 450 compositions, which reflected her veneration of Bach and Beethoven and an innovative musical approach.Īt age 41, she published Opus 1, the first original work published in her name and among the first published compositions by a woman, paving the way for women to pursue a classical tradition historically dominated by men. Hensel remained musically engaged, and around 1820, she began working as an integral part of Mendelssohn family Sunday Concerts, a semi-public exhibition where she shined for decades as a hostess, organizer, conductor, and pianist free to explore the depths of her creativity. Despite her prodigious talent, her ability to foster a musical career was hindered by restrictive societal conventions. At 13, Hensel astonished a private audience in Berlin with a memorized performance of 24 preludes from Bach’s masterpiece “The Well-Tempered Clavier” (1722-1742). Her mother, herself taught by a student of Johann Sebastian Bach, first taught her piano. Today’s Doodle celebrates the 216th birthday of virtuosic German pianist and composer Fanny Hensel, who is widely considered one of the most important woman composers of the 19th century.įanny Hensel was born Fanny Zippora Mendelssohn on this day in 1805 in Hamburg, Germany into an upper-class family.
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