Fanny Mendelssohn, String Quartet (2nd Movement)

A couple of months ago, I featured a work by Clara Wieck Schumann, wife of the famous composer Robert Schumann. Today I’m turning to the sister of Felix Mendelssohn, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847). Like Clara, Fanny’s musical aptitude was recognized early.

Fanny was not quite four years older than Felix. Both were taught composition by Carl Zelter. Historians credit Zelter and Felix Mendelssohn for sparking a revival of the music of J.S. Bach.

Zelter wrote to his friend Johann von Goethe about the extraordinary talent of both Mendelssohn children, offering particular praise of Fanny. At age 13, Fanny performed all 24 Preludes and Fugues in Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier to celebrate her father’s birthday. Unlike Clara, who was well known as a performer, Fanny’s performances and compositions were heard primarily in private gatherings at home.

People at the time did not consider composition to be a suitable vocation for women. Fanny nevertheless wrote numerous works and published a few of her “Songs Without Words” under Felix’s name. At least one commentator has pointed out that Fanny, whose compositions were not subject to public scrutiny, was able to be more daring in her writing. I won’t attempt to rate composers according to boldness, but I certainly find her string quartet to be vivid and interesting.

I debated which of the four movements to feature. But while I was listening to the 2nd movement, my 4-year-old granddaughter came into my office to say she really liked that music. So, the decision was made. Patti (whom you may know from Professor Carol’s posts) has endorsed the second movement. If you enjoy it as much as she does, you may want to hear the first, third, and fourth movements as well.