Fanny Hen'sel's “songs for pianoforte” of 1836–37: Stylistic interaction with Felix Mendelssohn1

Abstract

Fanny Hensel held matinee concerts in her home that were among the best musical events in Berlin during the 1830s and 40s. Her piano compositions written for these events remained mostly unpublished, because her brother Felix Mendelssohn vigorously opposed publication of her music. In spite of their disagreement about publishing, their correspondence demonstrates that the close musical interaction of their childhood, with both encouragement and criticism, continued and flourished. In order to explore how this musical interaction manifested itself, Hensel's “Songs for Pianoforte” of 1836–37 are here compared to Mendelssohn's “Songs without Words” of the same period. Hensel's use of expansive length, developmental techniques, and multiple themes contrasts with Mendelssohn's more compact, mostly mono thematic pieces. Yet similarities of harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic material, as well as piano texture, reveal the closeness of musical spirit between the two siblings. Direct comparison suggests that Hensel's unnumbered piece of 1836 was the model for Mendelssohn's Op. 38, no. 5, of 1837.

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