Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847)
Germany

As a woman, Fanny did not receive the same musical opportunities as her brother, Felix Mendelssohn; however she composed over 500 musical works of which 28 were published, including six of which were published under her brother's name. Her style was reflected in her beautiful melodies and Lied compositions. In 1829, Fanny married Wilhelm Hensel, a German painter and a supporter of her music. Fanny also distinguished herself as a talented performer and director. She, like her brother, composed her work in a classical style reminiscent of Bach and Beethoven.

Works
- Piano Trio in D minor (Op. 11, 1846)
- Das Jahr ("The Year," 1841)
- Oratorium nach den Bildern der Bibel (Oratorio after Pictures from the Bible, 1831),
- Gartenlieder (Garden Songs, 1846)
- "Schwanenlied" ("Swan Song", 1846) and "Bergeslust" ("Mountain Yearning", 1847)
- "Nachtwanderer" Op. 7

Sources:

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel. Ed. Suzy Smith. Jan. 1999. Emory University. 25 Jan. 1999 <http://www.emory.edu/MUSIC/ARNOLD/hensel_content.html>

Sony Classical. Sony Music Entertainment. 2001. <http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/eras/romhist.html>

Longyear, Ray M. Nineteenth-Century Romanticism in Music. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1988.

Rosen, Charles. The Romantic Generation. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1995.