The Hanover Square Quartet, Debbie, Poppy, Becky and Emma, came together as a quartet during lockdown but they have all been playing with leading period instrument groups for many years.
As experts in historical performance, but also as women, the quartet focuses on 18th and 19th century women composers whose music was not recognised by their contemporaries as of equal quality to that of men. Quite the opposite, in fact. Well-to-do women were meant to stay at home, get married and guard their reputations – which their men folk believed would be ‘besmirched’ by public performance or even by publication.
On May 7th the quartet are focusing on the music of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and Emilie Mayer:
Quartet in Eb Major by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (her only string quartet)
and
Quartet in E Minor by Emilie Mayer
With a small gesture to male composers with
Quartet in F Minor Op. 80 by Felix Mendelssohn
Book here for 7th May
Fanny Mendelssohn – 1805 – 1847
Fanny was born in Hamburg in 1805, the eldest child of a well to do and distinguished Jewish family, her paternal grandfather a philosopher, her maternal grandfather an entrepreneur. From her earliest yers she showed prodigious musical talent both as a composer and a player. At the age of 14 she was playing all 24 preludes from Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier from memory in honour of her father’s birthday.
Her musical training was comparable to that of her brother Felix, born four years later, initially with her mother but soon with the best teachers of their day. She wrote from an early age and they both performed weekly at her parents’ home in Berlin. But performance on a more public platfrom could not be contemplated for Fanny both because she was a woman and because of her class. Her father was no more than tolerant of her activities as a composer (‘music will perhaps become his Felix’s profession, while for you it can and must be only an ornament’) and while Felix was privately supportive he was hesitant about her publishing her works under her own name:
‘From my knowledge of Fanny I should say that she has neither inclination nor vocation for authorship. She is too much all that a woman ought to be for this. She regulates her house, and neither thinks of the public nor of the musical world, nor even of music at all, until her first duties are fulfilled. Publishing would only disturb her in these, and I cannot say that I approve of it.’
Instead, in 1826, Felix arranged for some of her songs to be published under his name – resulting in a famous but embarrassing moment when Queen Victoria, receiving Felix at Buckingham Palace, expressed her intention of singing to the composer her favourite of his songs, Italien. Felix, to his credit, confessed that Italien had in fact been written by Fanny.
Fortunately, Fanny’s husband the artist William Hensel who she married in 1829 after an eight year courtship, was very much more open minded. He enthusiastically supported her composing encouraging her every day as he went off to his studio, to compose in his absence. And it was Hensel who finally persuaded her to publish, somewhat hesitantly, a selection of her songs in 1846. In her own words…
‘I’m beginning to publish…and if I’ve done it of my own free will and cannot blame anyone in my family if aggravation results from it…then I can console myself with the knowledge that in no way did I seek or induce the kind of musical reputation that might have brought me such offers. I hope I shall not disgrace you all, for I am no femme libre…’ And On 14 August she wrote in her journal ‘Felix has written, and given me his professional blessing in the kindest manner. I know that he is not quite satisfied in his heart of hearts, but I am glad he has said a kind word to me about it.’
None the less, Fanny and her brother remained incredibly close, keeping up a lifelong musical correspondence in which she provided constructive cristicism of his works on which he relied heavily.
Meanwhile, over her relatively short life she composed a piano trio and a piano quartet, an orchestral overture, four cantatas, more than 125 pieces for the piano, and over 250 songs. The majority of her compositions were limited to lieder and piano as she did not feel that her abilities extended to larger, more intricate compositions. She was no doubt also hampered by the fact that she, unlike Felix, had never studied or played any string instruments. However, the musicologist Angela Mace, who proved Fanny Hensel’s authorship of the Easter Sonata (previously attributed to Felix – see Sheila Hayman’s article below) considers that Fanny was much more experimental with her lieder than Felix, noting that her works have a ‘harmonic density’ that serves to express emotion
Also do read this lovely article in the Guardian in 2017 by Sheila Hayman, Fanny’s great-great-great grand daughter.
Book here for 7th May – £28 to include the concert, wine and an early 19th century buffet supper…..
6.30 for a glass of wine, 7pm for the concert, 8.15 for supper.
Next post – who was Emilie Mayer?….
Upcoming concerts:
Sunday 2nd April – Highgate Society Lunchtime concert
Jonah Phillips and his group – piano, bass & drums
Book here – £15 to include copious quantites of Bucks Fizz
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What time does the 7th May concert start?
Sylvia Coury
Good morning Sylvia – 6.30 for drinks- 7pm concert – 8.30 supper. Thank you for reminding me – will add to the post. M