Biographical Sketch

Composer: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel

Born: November 14, 1805 (Hamburg, Germany)
Died: May 14, 1847 (Berlin, Germany)
Nationality: German
Musical Period: Romantic (1820-1900)

Personal Life:
Family:
3 siblings, Felix, Rebecka, and Paul
In a well-off family
Parents Abraham and Lea
Married Wilhelm Hensel in 1829
Had one son, Sebastian Hensel
Fierce competition with brother Felix
Very close with Felix
First composition was at 14, song to celebrate fathers birthday
Personality:
Child prodigy
Intelligent
Driven
Strong willed
Health:
Died of a stroke at age 41

Career:
Significant places:
Went to the Berlin Sing-Akademie music school
Traveled to Italy twice with husband and son
Studied piano in Berlin and Paris
Set up a salon to meet with intellectuals
 Significant people:
Heavily influenced by J.S. Bach
Brother Felix tried to hinder her career, she constantly lived in his shadow
Father was not supportive of her, said that she should focus on domestic duties
Husband Wilhelm encouraged her to publish works
Studied piano in Paris with Marie Bigot de Morogues, who was a favorite of Haydn and
Beethoven
Studied music composition with Carl F. Zelter

Employers:
Did not have any employers

Patrons:
Listeners at the salon

Financial Situation:
Lived a comfortable life with husband working for King of Prussia

Music:
Style of composition:
Difficult piano pieces because she was an impressive piano player
Many womens chorus pieces
Mainly lieder (German-language songs)
Similar to J.S. Bach
General characteristics:
Short, evocative, highly melodic
Contributions:
Started the salon, an important gathering of Berlins intellectuals
Major works:
String Quartet in E flat major
Hiob cantata
 Overture in C
Notturno in G minor
Das Jahre
Bergeslust
String Quartet in G minor
o Was similar to some of Felixs works
Over 400 compositions total